Fell Audio Disc CD player
Years ago I recall hearing the naysayers proclaiming that the end of the CD format was nigh. Yet here we are, in 2025, reviewing an entry level CD player, and from a British manufacturer at that. Fell Audio made great waves towards the end of last year following the announcement of both the Fell Disc CD Player, which we are examining here, priced at £499, and the matching Fell Amp integrated amplifier, available at £599. Buy the pair and you can save £99 and have yourself two-thirds of a great entry-level system for £999.
So, who are Fell Audio? To call them an in-house brand for the hi-fi dealer, Peter Tyson Ltd, perhaps undersells the brand. Pretty much everything, from the casing and metalwork to plastic injection moulding, painting, PCBs, final build, and even packaging, is UK-sourced and has been designed with sustainability in mind. Under the helm of Luke Tyson, the project has undergone over three years of development. Peter Tyson runs a mail-order service, which operates alongside its brick-and-mortar shops. Since April, Fell Audio’s products have been available via Amazon, which should help them reach a far wider audience.
A matching streamer, called the Fell Stream, is expected to be available by the end of this year, with the price to be announced. Today, we are focusing on the Fell Disc CD player, which, as you will read, I put through its paces in a revealing system.
Design and build
The design brief for producing a great-sounding CD player at the £500 price point does not leave much in the budget for the casing or indeed features, but I feel that Fell Audio has made the right choices with the Disc and come up with a good compromise. The company has opted for a classic design vibe here perhaps harking back to late 1970s and early 1980s British designs such as the Cambridge A60. Yet, as I gaze across the room at it whilst I type, and it integrates well with my assortment of more modern-looking equipment.
Rather than the traditional pop-out drawer, the Fell Disc features a front-loading slot, similar to those found in in-car players. Controls are a touch-sensitive affair, aside from the power button, which requires a firm push. The touch-sensitive controls generally worked well, but I did find that you need to wipe the panel clear of fingerprints regularly, as the Repeat button would occasionally flash randomly if the panel were even lightly soiled.
Around the back of the Disc are a pair of RCA sockets for analogue connections, as well as digital optical and S/PDIF RCA outputs. Power input is via 3-pin IEC input, which led me to discover that the Fell Disc is equipped with a linear power supply, rather than the switch-mode type typically encountered on machines in this market segment. The best switch-mode supplies can be effective, but good ones tend to be costly to develop, which would likely consume a significant portion of the budget. To keep things real, I tested the player with the good, but budget Yello main cable from Russ Andrews. There are no input facilities here, but the matching Fell Amplifier includes the same ES9018K2M DAC chip as the one inside this CD player and has an array of digital inputs.
You cannot expect a heavyweight remote to be supplied with a component at this price level, but Fell’s unit worked well enough, although I would have liked to be able to defeat the display via the remote. A special mention must go to the Disc’s packaging, which includes a recyclable cotton bag which bears the Fell Audio logo. I felt this was a nice touch, which sets this product apart from much of the competition. You may even spot a fellow audiophile using one to carry their shopping.
How does the Fell Disc sound?
I was not unsure if this unit was fresh or run-in, so before installing it in the main system, I decided to leave it switched on in a headphone-based setup for a few days before assessing it. I had previously been using a streamer and DAC, which cost roughly four times the price of the Fell Disc in this system, which includes a Heed Canalot III headphone amp and Sendy Peacock planar magnetic headphones.
Although the Fell Disc sounded comparatively restrained by immediate comparison to my streamer and DAC, it did sound well-balanced and enjoyable. I was able to listen to CDs which can often sound thin and brittle, such as Ozric Tentacles’ Erpland, without being distracted by such unpleasantries. In fact, the top-end proved exceptionally well behaved. Perhaps there was a slight roundness to the high frequencies, but the music had enough detail and energy to keep me entertained. Prior to moving the Fell Disc into the main system, I spun a few CDs on my ageing Oppo 103D multi-format player to provide a reference of what to expect from a reasonably priced disc spinner. To say the Fell Disc was vastly superior is an understatement. Sure, you wouldn’t expect what is essentially a Blu-ray player to match a similarly priced dedicated CD player when playing that format. Still, I was surprised by the magnitude of the Disc’s superiority.
Joni Michell’s Turbulent Indigo may not be out of her very top drawer, but it represents a good example of her late period canon, and is definitely one of her best sounding albums. It proved to be an excellent tool for revealing the capabilities of the Fell Disc. This player sounded considerably warmer, fuller, weightier and more dynamic than the Oppo. The bass was richer and fuller, with the overall balance being more dynamic, if just slightly forward in the midrange. Comparing the two machines’ reproduction of the title track, the acoustic guitar had more snap and superior timing; the Oppo sounded flat and shut-in by comparison.
The track How Do You Stop? was more dynamic via the Fell Disc, and Joni’s vocal diction was both more precise and insightful. Percussion had more snap and life, and the bass guitar now growled and had some bounce to it, rather than simply plodding as before. Despite my usual source being an expensive server and DAC, I found that I could listen to the Fell Disc for pleasure without feeling shortchanged. For sure, it ultimately lacked the ultimate resolution, top-end air, body, and authority you get from higher-end sources, but it proved to be an enjoyable companion, nonetheless.
Revisiting Ozric Tentacles’ Erpland through my main system, which includes a Moon 600i amplifier and Totem Forest Signature speakers, I enjoyed a lively performance which lacked the glare I remember being present on the systems I rather overplayed this album on during my youth. The bass guitar is mixed relatively low, but I could follow it with ease, and it had a satisfying firmness to it.
Towards the end of my time with the Fell Disc, I installed the Oephi Lounge 2.5 speakers, the review of which is scheduled for publication very soon. I dug out Christopher Cross’s debut album to indulge in some late 70s yacht rock. Prior to a recent internet search, I had not realised this was actually one of the first digitally recorded mainstream pop/rock albums. Early digital recordings tend not to have aged well, but this one, via the Fell Disc, sounded fantastic. The CD player had no trouble revealing the superior dynamic range of recordings from this era, which is vast compared to that of many of today’s mainstream releases. I was particularly struck by the warmth of the horns and guitars, which goes to show how far CD has come since those early players, which had a reputation for a thin and cold balance.
Summing up
The performance of the Fell Disc CD player makes my job easy. It’s an affordable machine which looks good and produces entertaining music without notable vices. It is as well-built as one can expect for the money and feels like it will last the distance. I think Fell has voiced the Disc spot on, giving it just a slight push in the midrange and tailoring the top-end just enough to ensure listeners are not troubled by anything resembling the digital edge the CD format was once infamous for, especially when paired with budget ancillaries.
Whilst it makes an obvious partner for the matching Fell Audio amplifier, I can see it finding a home in many a decent system, either to accompany a streaming or vinyl source, or as the main source of music. It certainly sounds better than any budget streamer that I have had at home, and proves that there’s is life in the format yet. For the cost of a month’s streaming subscription, you can enjoy scouring the used CD bins at charity shops and market stalls, or even that ubiquitous e-commerce auction site for some bargains. The CD format is generally durable, and they are often available for a fraction of the cost of the equivalent vinyl LP. The Fell Disc will let you take advantage of this situation thanks to its forgiving yet detailed presentation and great price.