Are you in the market for an all-new, full-fat CD player? If so, you're in luck, because Denon has just announced the DCD-1700NE, a CD/SACD player capable of high-resolution audio playback, among many other features.
There hasn't been a bus-load of CD players being released in recent years, but disc-spinning fans will be glad to know that CDs are reportedly making a comeback. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), shipments of compact discs rose for the first time in 17 years in 2021, marking the first time CD sales were on the increase since 2004. The CD revival may not reach the same heights as the ever-growing vinyl revival, but we're glad to see serious new players hit the market.
This brings us back to the Denon: the DCD-1700NE can handle playing just about any disc from CDs to SACDs, and even DVD-R/RWs and DVD+R/RWs that hold DSD and hi-res files (there's no separate USB input). As for hi-res support, the 1700NE can handle playback of up to 192kHz/24-bit PCM and 5.6MHz DSD. There are optical and coaxial outputs, and one fixed line level RCA output.
According to Denon, thanks to Advanced AL32 Processing Plus and a proprietary S.V.H class disc drive, the 1700E can manage pristine, faithful playback with optimal accuracy, even restoring information that was lost during the original digital recording. Plus, the 1700E comes outfitted with carefully selected and tuned internal components evaluated by Denon with an eye toward the brand's distinctive sound.
What's more, the 1700E is designed to minimise the vibration of the chassis and reduce any adverse audio effects of the heavy, powerful components inside to maximize audio quality, according to Denon. Suffice it to say that this CD/SACD player is just about the full package of what you'd want out of a player.
The Denon DCD-1700NE is on sale now and costs £1299 / $1499 (around AU$2296). It's designed to be partnered with Denon's own PMA-1700NE amplifier, which was released last year.
Denon isn't alone in bringing out a new CD player in 2023. JBL announced its CD350 Classic CD player (£799 / $700 around AU$1440) at CES 2023 earlier this month. Seeing new CD players come to the market and CD sales being on the rise is a charming new development, and we'll have to get our hands on the new DCD-1700E to give a full picture of its performance. Will it trouble the Cyrus CDi (£1195 / around $1474/AU$2118), our Award-winning class leader that has dominated for the last few years? We shall have to wait and see.
MORE:
JBL launches Classic Series of hi-fi electronics, including a CD player
As well as our list of all the best CD players out there
