To think of the Crescendo Cd Player as a “common” high-end player or still worse as a “low -level” high-end one would be totally misguided to say the least!!!! The Crescendo CD Player, in reality, is the result of in depth research and careful attention to detail. In fact, the product has been implemented with technology only previously used in benchmark players... until now. This challenge has been undertaken with the ulterior requirement of maximizing value for money. This has pushed the Audio Analogue designers to develop new circuit solutions and has brought about results which have gone over and above our already ambitious initial targets!

The Cd Mechanism used is the CD-5010A specifically designed by Teac for high quality audio application. The CD-5010A has been developed on the basis of a CD ROM mechanism which decreases the rotation speed and improves the reading procedure. This has the particular advantage of cutting down the jitter output level. The Audio Analogue R&D staff has worked with Teac during the developing and testing of the Cd mechanism, especially with the mechanical and vibration tests.

The Digital to analogue conversion circuit is composed by a 192 KHz/24Bit very low recovered system clock (residual jitter less than 50ps!) Burr Brown receiver and by a 24Bit/192KHz Enhanced Multilevel Delta Sigma architecture DAC. The conversion circuit is placed on a separated board to avoid any high frequency disturbance on the audio signal.

In this product Audio Analogue has pointed a lot on the output stage and a new approach to the design has been developed. We have realized a fourth order active output filter that, together with the inner one pole filter inside the used DAC, forms a fifth order output one. Such high order (usually found only in really very expensive products!) permits to increase the cut off frequency of the output filter with very good results on the audio performances of the unit especially for the increased precision of the listening stage. The problem of the approach (and that’s why is usually implemented in high price products) is the added distortion and noise due to the high number of stage the sound has to pass through. Audio Analogue has used all its experience and technology to design every part of the stage and choose every passive component to reduce, after a long work, the overall distortion and noise with astonishing results!

The manager software implemented comes from a long and careful research finalized to take advantage of the CD Mechanism at its best for a perfect audio return and for the best CD player management.

1 - Power supplyA toroidal transformer is used with secondary dedicated stages: one to the Analog/DAC section power supply and other two dedicated to the digital power supply. The analog power supply has been realized using all Audio Analogue‘s strategies to reduce any interference and kill the noise in every part of the unit. Regulation stages have been placed in every sensitive circuit point and the bypass capacitors have been chosen not only for their electric performance but also after long and careful listening sessions. 

2 - CD MechanismThe Crescendo CD Player, like all the Audio Analogue CD Players, is mounted with the Teac CD-5010A, a mechanism specifically designed for high end audio applications. This CD Mechanism is very sturdy and has a very low Jitter output. The best starting point for a very high performance player! 

3 - DA sectionA complete 24bit/192KHz DAC chain has been implemented. All our experience and technology has been widely used. We have especially focused on the bypassing of the power supply, the decoupling of the DAC outputs and we have worked on a perfect separation between analog and digital circuits, with particular attention paid to the ground return path separation. 

4 - Output StageIn this product Audio Analogue has placed a lot of focus on the output stage and a new approach to the design has been developed. We have realized a fourth order active output filter that, together with the inner one pole filter inside the used DAC, forms a fifth order output one. Such a high order (usually found only in really very expensive products!) has permitted us to increase the cut off frequency of the output filter with excellent results on the audio performance of the unit, especially for the increased precision of the listening stage. The problem of the approach (and that’s why it is usually implemented in high price products) is the added distortion and noise due to the high number of stages the sound has to pass through. Audio Analogue has used all its experience and technology to design every part of the stage and choose every passive component to reduce, after long endeavours, the overall distortion and noise with absolutely astonishing results!

5 - Trigger In/OutThe Crescendo CD Player has both the Trigger in, through which the unit can be turned on by another unit in the chain and a Trigger out, which can be used to turn on an external unit.