CEC TL5N CD Transport (Click & Collect Only)

There’s something very special about CEC transports, and this is almost certainly attributable to their radical belt drive mechanism. Most CD players use a motor to directly drive the disc from underneath, this will couple vibration into the disc and rely upon the basic motor bearings to support the spinning disc. To solve these issues CEC use a belt drive assembly to reduce the transmission of noise from the motor, the disc is held in place with a weighty clamp and that spins on top of a very high quality bearing - much like the one you’d find in a good turntable.

The TL5 has the motor drive belt mounted inside the CD compartment, making it incredibly simple to change the drive belt (on the very rare occasions when it is required) as no tools are needed. The sound of these transports is very special, but quite difficult to describe on paper. Anyone familiar with a good turntable will instantly recognise the extra realism they reproduce. There’s a tremendous sense of flow, of musicians playing together and interacting, and a sense of analogue like freedom to the sound. That’s not to say the sound is lacking in dynamics or excitement - quite the opposite in fact, the sound is incredibly involving. Much like the filterless DACs we champion, it takes digital replay to a level which seems impossible to achieve through other means. It offers a very wide range of connection options including XLR (AES/EBU), coaxial S/PDIF (via a phono/RCA) and Toslink optical.

Technical Specifications:

Playable Disc: Audio CD & Finalised CD-R/RW Recorded in Audio CD Format

Spindle Drive System: Belt-Drive

CD Stabiliser: Diameter: 70mm, Weight: 330g(Brass)

Digital Output: AES/EBU x1:2.5Vp-p/110R (Pin2=Hot), COAXIAL x1:0.5Vp-p/75R, TOS x1:-21~-15dbmEIAJ

Power: AC120V or 230V, 50/60hz (Specified on Rear Panel)

Power Consumption: 17W

Dimensions: Approx. 435(W) x 335(D) x 109(H)mm (Incl. Knobs & Legs)

Weight: Approx. 8.3kg (Incl. CD Stabiliser)

Accessories: CD Stabiliser, AC Power Cord, Remote Control Unit & Owner's Manual

Colour: Silver

Origin: Japan