NAD has announced another benchmark product with the C545BEE CD player. The C545BEE plays regular CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs including discs encoded with MP3 and WMA compression.
The C545BEE replaces NAD’s venerable C542 CD player that won world acclaim and numerous awards for outstanding performance and value. Never resting on its laurels, NAD have made a significant improvement in a number of areas including low frequency dynamics and extension. Image depth and scale are further enhanced while retaining the timbrel accuracy and lucid harmonic structure of its predecessor. Similarly, beside more refined cosmetics, circuit layout and component choices have been extensively updated.
Advanced Burr Brown 24-bit digital to analog converter chips specially chosen for their excellent low-level linearity and detail retrieving capabilities are employed and will realize the best from current CDs. The C545BEE also features coaxial digital and optical digital output for use with external digital to analog converters. Other sound improving features include separate power regulators for the digital and analog section, isolating these two major sections reducing interference.
Similarly, metal film resistor and polypropylene capacitors are used in key areas to ensure a highly accurate frequency response, and apart from the single film type output capacitor, no other capacitors are used in the signal path.
Careful attention has been paid to accurately matching the impedance of products that feature digital inputs including CD players, MD recorders, computer sound cards, and outboard D to A converters. To achieve this, the output impedance of the C545BEE has been carefully tailored to a precise 75 ohms impedance to ensure perfect matching to any of these devices.
The culmination of these preventative measures reduces timing errors (jitter) that could otherwise distort the digital data stream. The C545BEE is supported with the advanced CD-8 full function remote control that addresses all the CD player’s features including direct track access and programming capabilities. For example; it can program up to 40 tracks and delete by simply using the CLEAR key. Additional features include a 12 volt trigger input and a detachable AC cord.
Price
The C545BEE is available in Graphite and Titanium colours, and has an RRP of $749. It is covered by a two plus one year warranty.
