French company Totaldac continues on its product development path with the new d1-CD, a disc transport which mates seamlessly with the company’s highly regarded digital-to-analogue converters.
Such is our admiration for Vincent Brient’s resistor-based DACs, that we use the outstanding d1-triunity in our reference system here at SoundStage! Australia HQ. Now, the company has just launched the new d1-CD, a dedicated CD transport designed to perfectly match Totaldac’s converters at all levels, and indeed, any high quality converter.
The d1-CD features a CD-PRO8 mechanism built in Austria by ex-Philip engineers. So, for starters, the disc is supported by an excellent transport mech. Being a purist CD device, the d1-CD Transport only outputs 16-bits/44.1 KHz signal. However, the unit is happy reading the CD layer on hybrid SACDs while also being compatible with CD-text functionality. The d1-CD’s oscillator is stated as having a specification of 40 femto-seconds of RMS jitter, which the company claims is an unusually low figure, resulting in excellent dynamics.
Further, Totaldac has included technologies developed for its reclocker and streamer systems, such as a specific clock distribution, bespoke S/PDIF generator, a ground and earth distribution scheme, and more. In addition, electromagnetic and mechanical damping have been given special attention while equal care has gone into isolation and control of vibrational distortions via a massive copper bottom plate and custom anti-vibration feet. The copper plate is decoupled from the unit via four conical springs and four silicone rubber dampers.
The d1-CD Transport is provided with Totaldac’s external ‘live-power’ supply, featuring a made-in-France transformer, with the unit being highly-tuned to provide power supply filtering. The live-power supply also provides galvanic isolation, with Totaldac stating the resulting noise spectrum, when powering a DAC, being exemplary. The external live-power supply minimises Electromagnetic (EM) distortion which could affect the CD mechanism, the digital signals or the unit’s oscillator.
The d1-CD Transport features an XLR AES/EBU and RCA S/PDIF coaxial outputs (BNC as an option at time of ordering), and a high quality RCA socket for unit grounding. The unit is styled in the now unmissable Totaldac chassis form.
The new d1-CD Transport is available in Australia directly from Totaldac and is supplied as standard with a smoked acrylic fascia. A high quality silver anodised front panel can be ordered as an extra cost option.
Totaldac d1-CD Transport
Price: EU7500 inc VAT in Europe, EU6900 ex VAT outside Europe
Totaldac Direct
PH: +33 6 18 03 14 08
www.totaldac.com
