“… A savvy audiophile should always have a capable CD replay system ready, so that there is no need to scramble when CDs return to vogue that LPs have enjoyed. For Audio Note, who have always stood by the source of traditional CDs , they have naturally made a 100% correct choice!…”

“The CDT Two is an evergreen model with nearly twenty years under its belt. It has long been well-known for its cost-effectiveness…. and it is the best-selling model in Audio Note’s range of standalone CD players. There is no other reason – once the sound on this machine is turned on, the musicality it emanates is endless. It keeps people listening.”

“When discussing with Peter Qvortrup about digital sources developing at the speed of light, he certainly reiterated his and Andy Grove’s unique insights. For example, that CDs always have the best sound, their insistence with using a traditional movement, zero sampling, low bit count, not altering the sound in the digital circuit, and instead adjusting the sound with the transformer and valves in the analogue part…etc.”

“Speaking of the DAC 2.1x, it is the same as the CDT Two/II transport, in that this decoder is also the evergreen model in Audio Note’s line of digital audio equipment, and the two follow the same design principles inside and out. The two are simply parts of the same “suit.” … According to [Peter Qvortrup], the musical flavour of this 18-bit decoder chip is more condensed and natural than the 20-bit version. In addition, DAC 2.1x still uses zero sampling, and there is no jitter correction, not to mention time-base re-clocking. In short, everything is natural and authentic.”

“From Audio Note’s above-mentioned unique insights on CD replay, it is not difficult to discover that their concept is in the same line as those of old-school advocates for natural, clean simplicity… What made me pay attention is the power supply of the CD-4.1x machine. It has been thoughtfully designed, especially the decoding part…. and the CD-4.1x impresses me deeply, with its natural smoothness and exciting dynamics, like that of replaying LPs, so no matter what type of music is chosen, it always makes people listen carefully.”

“I’ve always believed that since the debut of CDs in the early 1980s, people have grown deeply fond of them, and there are countless numbers of CDs in the world. In addition, as new versions and restoration technologies continue to improve, [the contrast with] the old and first-edition CDs add another layer of archeological interest, therefore CDs have good reason to last for a long time.”

Charlie Ma
Tube World Monthly 2021.10