CD players are a little overrated, IMHO. Sure, some audiophiles swear by their sound quality, but they’re usually listening through a proper hi-fi setup with dedicated amplifiers and speakers. You don’t exactly get that with a portable CD player. Well, perhaps that’s no longer the case, because there’s the Cayin CP6.
Yes, it is a portable CD player, but no, it ain’t an ordinary CD player. It will put even the best of the OGs—portable CD players, that is—to shame; it has a built-in tube amplifier and a Hi-Res DAC, so you can finally find the CD quality audiophiles have been swearing by while on the go.
The Cayin CP6 is a triple-timbre portable CD player, which means it means serious business. Thanks to its dual Nutube 6P1 vacuum tubes, dual DAC architecture, and three selectable audio modes—Solid State, Classic Tube, and Modern Tube—you can tailor the sound to your liking. Fancy a clean, analytical presentation? There’s a mode for that. Prefer the warmth and richness only tubes seem to deliver? It has you covered there too.
The attention to detail does not stop there. The CP6 employs a precision Philips CD mechanism with a custom anti-shock suspension, supported by a servo system that Cayin says minimizes read errors and keeps playback stable while you’re on the move. It also reads CD-R and CD-RW discs, as well as MQA-CDs. Well, Cayin really knows CD enthusiasts because most, if not all, Most, if not all, OG CD collectors would have burned their own mix CDs at some point.
Of course, this is not just about spinning discs. The CP6 doubles as a Hi-Res DAC and headphone amplifier, complete with both 3.5 mm single-ended and 4.4 mm balanced outputs. It also supports Bluetooth transmission with LDAC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, AAC, and SBC codecs, allowing you to enjoy your CDs wirelessly without sacrificing too much fidelity.
Power comes from a 5,100 mAh battery, delivering up to eight hours of playback depending on the output mode. Around the front is a gorgeous 3.2-inch display that shows album art, track information, playback settings, and even animated vacuum tube graphics because, well, if you’re buying a portable tube CD player, you might as well enjoy watching it do its thing.
The Cayin CP6 is available now for US$999. It is certainly not for everyone. But if you have a shelf full of CDs gathering dust, this may just be the excuse you’ve been waiting for to spin them all over again. Cayin does have an official AliExpress store. Unfortunately, it insists that I log in before I can see what’s on offer, and I’m not particularly fond of that. So I can’t tell you if the CP6 is available there. However, you can always check with one of Cayin’s authorized retailers instead.
Images: Cayin.
Story via Stereo Guide.
