Since the IZero amplifier offers just eight watts per channel, power output could be an issue.
While its lack of power makes it expensive on a pound-per-watt basis and limits its usage to efficient speakers only it sounds absolutely gorgeous – the audio equivalent of smooth rich chocolate! The CD player is especially good, giving a rich warm, yet open tonality that is unusually 'analogue' in nature. The CD/II and AZ-Two speakers are both very fine-sounding products that will easily stand comparison with comparably priced (and dearer) equivalents from other manufacturers. So, whether or not it offers good value is intimately related to how highly you rate its sound quality. Given all this, it's unlikely that anyone will choose the Zero system for 'battleship build quality' or stylish appearance. No grilles are supplied, but these can be bought as accessories for about £60. The AZ Two loudspeakers can be obtained in black ash, rosewood, beech, or cherry veneers and again styling is fairly traditional.
Both amplifier and CD player exude a distinct retro appearance and will appeal to those who prefer hi-fi with a traditional look. Each item is nicely finished, but the plain somewhat 'boxy' styling means there's not much 'wow' factor. There's nothing flashy about the build quality. Our review samples came in the former and look understated, but smart. The 6111WA tube is soldered in place and Audio Note claims its lifespan should exceed 100,000 hours.Īudio Note offers its Zero electronics with a choice of fascia plates – silver alloy, or black acrylic. The transport is a modified Philips L1210. The CD player features a single 6111WA tube in the analogue output stage, with a Philips TDA 1543 filterless DAC used without up-sampling. The amplifier employs four ECL82 output tubes (two per channel), run in Class A up to about 80 per cent of their power and then switched to Class A/B. There are additional buttons for volume and input selection that, unfortunately, have no effect on the IZero amplifier.īoth amp and CD player feature tubes.
#AUDIONOTE CDT ZERO PLUS#
A remote handset is supplied with the CD player and there are buttons for direct track-selection and fast-search, a button to dim or turn off the illuminated display, plus buttons for repeat (one track or the whole disc), random track playback and time – either track elapsed time, remaining time (track or disc) and total elapsed time. It's format will be - wait for it - Red Book.ĭon't know when, don't have any idea how much, or even what it will be called - I'm holding out for "Fire Brigade", (ladders, get it?), but I'm looking forward to it.The Zero CD/II CD player is only a little less Spartan: you get the usual operational controls, a single set of unbalanced analogue outputs, plus a digital output. The stone cold prototype, fresh out of a car's boot, (at the Munich show last year), trounced the DAC2.1x that had been playing for days. (Audio Note bought up the entire inventory when Analog Devices announced the model's discontinuation some time ago.)Ī new Audio Note DAC will be introduced, most likely sometime this year, which will eschew DAC chipsets in favor of a resistor ladder. It will play back 24/96 files, albeit truncated to 18 bits. The vast majority use the AD1865, chosen for superior sound. The CDT One/II and CDT Four are the second a and fourth transports in a line-up of six transports.įrom your post, I'm not sure which you meant.Īudio Note only does Red Book CD players, dedicated transports and DACs. The CD1.1x/II and CD4.1x are CD players - the second and fifth models in a lineup of five models, starting from the bottom. I will however be getting for review a CD One/IIand a CD Four." Steve Hoffman: "Sorry, I've never heard an Audio Note UK CD player.
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