The Unico CD Due is the successor to the CDE and being part of the Unico range, uses Unison Research’s trademark hybrid valve design, combing valve technology with solid state devices to enhance the power on offer. The CD Due has been introduced as the company’s flagship source component and is designed to complement the recently reviewed (and extremely likeable) Unico 150 amplifier.
You’ll find a wealth of connections around the back: USB, S/PDIF, AES/EBU and Toslink, so a number of digitial sources can be fed through the ESS Sabre DAC chip found under the hood. The USB input is capable of supporting hi-res audio up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD 11.2MHz, while the other digital inputs can handle 24-bit/192kHz resolutions.
The built-in Bluetooth is of the higher quality aptX variety and the drawer-loading CD mechanism is housed in a thick metal cover to reduce outside interference.
Its four ECC83 valves are arranged in a “totem-pole” style to help reduce power supply noise interference, while the rest of the internal circuitry uses short signal paths in a bid to increase performance.
Source and resolution information is displayed on a front-mounted OLED panel.
The Unison Research Unico CD Due is available now for £3200 in silver, or black for a £100 premium. If you want to get a closer look and even hear how it sounds, then get down to the Bristol Show which runs 26th-28th Feb. It’ll be on show in room 422.
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