Стримеры — CEN.GRAND GLD1.0 Media Player (Deluxe Model)

The GLD1.0 Media Player Deluxe is a digital music server and transport from CEN.GRAND, the Chinese company established in 2011 and led by designer JianHui Deng. Its main feature is the replacement of USB output with a proprietary PCIe-based transmission system. It launched quietly in August 2024 and is priced at USD 6,900.

Key specs that matter

Audio is transmitted over CEN.GRAND's POW (Parting of the Ways) two-channel protocol, with optical fibre carrying the data and BNC connections carrying the clock. Through POW it supports native DSD512 and PCM 384 kHz. S/PDIF outputs on coaxial, BNC, optical and AES carry DSD64 as DoP and PCM up to 192 kHz, and an HDMI I2S output serves DACs with a matching pin configuration. The platform is 64-bit Windows on an x64 processor, an i7 in the Deluxe version, with a 500 GB SSD. An HDMI video output connects a display, and control is also possible through JRiver's JRemote and Gizmo apps or Windows Remote Desktop.

Engineering and use context

USB audio uses isochronous transfers, which prioritise continuous playback and do not resend data that arrives corrupted. PCIe, by contrast, either receives data correctly or retransmits it, so every sample reaching the output is verified. CEN.GRAND built its own PCIe interface and the POW link so that data and clock travel on separate paths, with the fibre isolating the DAC electrically from the computer and the BNC link keeping the DAC and transport synchronised. The GLD1.0 contains only digital outputs, while the related GLS1.0 adds a DAC. Standard versions use a Celeron processor instead. It runs Windows 10 by default with JRiver, and owners can install Audirvana or Roon instead. The S/PDIF and I2S outputs allow the GLD1.0 to work with DACs that lack the POW interface. The designer's own reference system used an EMM Labs transport and ATC speakers alongside CEN.GRAND electronics.

Pairing

The GLD1.0 pairs with CEN.GRAND's DSDAC1.0 Deluxe in its Model-P version with the POW interface. Other DACs connect over S/PDIF, AES or I2S.

Alternatives

CEN.GRAND's GLS1.0 is the related media player with a built-in DAC.