ATC believes that there is still mileage in the humble compact disc – now in its 36th year. Although many music lovers increasingly rely on file-based or streamed music systems, they also own large collections of CDs. In order to provide high quality playback for both mediums, ATC has created its first standalone CD player the CD2 at £1,500 and a matching integrated amplifier with onboard digital to analogue converter.
The ATC CD2 provides a line-level stereo output on RCA phono sockets, together with true differential (balanced) outputs on XLR sockets. Digital S/PDIF Outputs are available on Optical Toslink and Coaxial outputs. Operation is through 5 push buttons on the front panel, which are duplicated on the ATC remote handset. Importantly the CD2’s disc drive is a TEAC transport rather than a DVD-ROM drive as is common among affordable CD players. It’s also very unusual to find genuine balanced output at this price point.
The SIA2-100 integrated amplifier/DAC (£2,500) has been engineered to partner the CD2 as a smartly compact music separates system. With a genuine 100W power output, two pairs of analogue inputs, together with a front panel mounted 3.5mm jack socket and digital optical, coaxial and USB inputs it’s ready for most contemporary sources. A single pair of stereo amplifier outputs join a stereo line level output and a full size headphone output on the front.
Both the CD2 and SIA2-100 chassis are constructed to be heavy, rigid and well damped with precision machined 12mm aluminium front panels finished in brushed and anodised ‘titanium’ silver. They will be on demo at the Bristol show and on sale in April.