Primare CD21 CD Player

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Understated looks that contain a solid and well-built CD player that comes all the way from... Sweden!

The front display is super bright, and the disc drawer operates quickly and smoothly. 

Offering standard single-ended RCA analog outputs along with every digital output type you'll (ever) need - Coaxial Digital-RCA, Optical Digital-Toslink, and AES/EBU-XLR.

Fully tested and working as it should.

Standout Features
• Every component of the CD21, from the CD transport to the audio output stage, has been designed to achieve the highest possible audio performance.

• Extremely low jitter - The Primare CD21 Compact Disc Player uses a precision crystal clock oscillator, and a Burr-Brown DIR1703 for jitter correction, giving excellent audio performance.

• Precision digital to analogue conversion - Digital to analogue conversion is performed by two 24 bit Burr-Brown PCM 1738 D/A converters and filter, capable of handling up to 24 bit input data at a 192kHz sampling rate. They are configured in an internally balanced topology to perform a THD cancellation process. In addition to providing standard RCA audio outputs the CD21 includes a gold-plated SPDIF digital output, an optical TOSlink, and advanced AES/EBU.

• No compromise power supply for the highest possible performance - The Primare CD21 Compact Disc Player uses eight separate isolated power supplies for the digital, analogue circuits, and transport mechanism, for maximum isolation. For the analogue part, discrete and ultrafast regulation is used.The result is an extremely high signal to noise ratio, allowing you to take full advantage of the dynamic range possible with CD.

• Careful design for mechanical stability - As with all Primare units, the CD21 Compact Disc Player is housed in an alloy heavy gauge steel chassis, which provides strength, rigidity, and screening, while being effective at damping vibrations from external sources. The front panel design isolates the display circuitry from the audio circuitry to avoid interference.

From HiFi Review:

"Swedish dish" - the player CD21 - is something like a free dessert on our test table. I still wonder how it was possible to make such solid and admiring by its hi-end basis device for such modest money. Is there some trick?

Let's see together. The chassis is made of a sheet of 2-mm steel and stands on three legs. Very thick front panel can be anodized in classic black and modern titanium color. The DVS "Ultra Silent" mechanism fully justifies its name and emits quiet and very mystical chuffing from sounds.

Emerald glow of the display, imperceptibly outmoded, strengthens more the idea of the exclusivity of the device. In digital path there are two Burr-Brown PCM1738 DACs and digital receiver "DIR1703". The whole filling is supplied by a small transformer on the rounded core.

On the back panel there are ports for the integration in multi-room systems and the connector for external IR-receiver and also in addition to linear outputs three digital, including AES/EBU! Fantastic...

Alas, when you turn on CD21, you immediately fall from heaven to the ground. It sounds like the device for 1350 dollars has to play. Tonal balance is precise and is deprived of tinting. The stage is formed truly - the sources seem to be slightly understated, but their localization and separation through layouts are brilliant. 

More from Primare:

CD21 CD PLAYER
Every component of the CD21, from the CD transport to the audio output stage, has been designed to achieve the highest possible audio performance.

Careful design for mechanical stability
The Primare CD21 Compact Disc Player uses an advanced DVS mechanism.

As with all Primare units, the CD21 Compact Disc Player is housed in an alloy heavy gauge steel chassis, which provides strength, rigidity, and screening, while being effective at damping vibrations from external sources.

Display and audio circuits are isolated
The front panel design isolates the display circuitry from the audio circuitry to avoid interference

The purest digital stream
From the CD-transport we extract the SPDIF signal, which is fed to a DIR1703 digital receiver. DIR 1703 has excellent jitter suppression abilities ensuring that the DACs receive as clean a digital signal as possible – giving the most natural sound. We have chosen not to incorporate any other signal treatment such as up-sampling, which can colour the sound.

Balanced internal design
Digital to analogue conversion is performed by two excellent Burr-Brown 24bit/192kHz PCM1738 DACs, configured in an internally balanced topology to perform a THD cancellation process. Each DAC chip is dedicated to either the left or right channel and contains two DACs, which carry the same signal with opposite phase. On the receiver side the signals are mixed, and since any interference that has arisen during the transmission will be present in both lines with identical phase, such noise and distortion products are cancelled out leaving only the pure original signal.

The current to voltage conversion is a half discrete circuit, which incorporates Philips NE5532 operational amplifiers, Burr-Brown’s OPA2134 and discrete MosFet transistors. The signal path is balanced until its last stage. The final output stage is single ended with a single Mosfet transistor driven by an active current source instead of the use of passive resistors.

Shortest signal paths
SMD technology is used whenever possibly to keep the signal path as short as possible.

Clean power supply for the best possible performance
Each part of an electronic design has specific power requirements. Primare’s forensic approach to ensuring that clean power is supplied throughout the design is a key part of its design philosophy and has significant sonic benefits.

An internal mains filter ensures that any high frequency disturbance is removed before it reaches the power transformer, which is placed as far away as possible from the delicate analogue circuits. The player incorporates a fantastic R-core transformer with separate windings for all of the player’s different power requirements (mechanical, analogue, digital, etc) – eight in all! Each is individually regulated in ten steps to ensure that enough power is constantly available. For the critical analogue audio stage, the player incorporates ultra-fast discrete power regulation, ensuring that enough regulated power is available for even the deepest sonic transient that can be recorded on a compact disc.
This power supply configuration gives the player the usually extremely high signal to noise ratio allowing you to take full advantage of the dynamic range possible with CD.

Power in standby mode: analogue audio sections are supplied with mains power in standby- mode. This means that no run-in time is necessary for the player when activated from standby mode. Its performance will be the same as if it were left in operating mode continuously.

Inputs/Outputs

Analogue output
The analogue output is unbalanced RCA for connection with an appropriate stereo amplifier.

Digital output
The CD21 Compact Disc Player provides one RCA co-axial 75 ohm S/PDIF, one optical TOSlink and one professional XLR 110 ohm AES/EBU digital output for connection to a digital preamplifier or digital surround processor.

Inputs

DATA
The DATA input is intended for use with future products.

RS232
The RS232 port will allow you to connect to a home automation installation system. It will also allow you authorised personnel to connect to the CD21 for service and future upgrades.

IR
For independent IR control by home automation systems, the CD21 can be controlled by using the IR-input on the back panel.

Intuitive user interface
In keeping with the philosophy of the Primare range of systems, the CD21 can be controlled through a very simple and intuitive interface, designed so that it will not distract you from the pleasure of listening to music on your system.

In fact most of the features of the CD21 can be accessed through just six front panel push buttons. The full set of functions, including scan and programming, is available using the remote control supplied with the CD21. Alternatively, all the functions of the CD21 can be controlled by the C22 remote control, along with the other Primare components in your system.

The main functions of the CD21 Compact disc player can be accessed using the 6 front panel push buttons.

Although the CD21 Compact Disc Player is flexible enough to work with virtually any other equipment you have in your system, it is ideally suited for use with the Primare I21 Integrated Amplifier. A particular benefit of using the CD21 with a Primare preamplifier is that you can control your entire system with a single remote control, to give you a fully integrated system with the simplest possible user interface.

Primary CD21 CD Player Owner's Manual

Specifications

Mechanism
DVS "Ultra Silent"

D/A Converter
2 x Burr-Brown PCM 1738

Output Analogue
2.0 VRMS

Output Impedance
100Ω

Frequency Response
20Hz – 20kHz (+0/0.2dB)

Signal to Noise Ratio
105dBA

Harmonic Distortion
<0.01% (20Hz – 20kHz)

Digital Output
75Ω coaxial (SPDIF)
110Ω AES/EBU
TOSlink

Power Consumption
Standby
<16W

Dimensions
16.93" x 13.97" x 3.94"
430 x 385 x 100mm

Weight
22.04 lbs. (10kg)

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