New British-designed, British-made CD player flies the flag for hi-tech UK manufacturing
mitchellandjohnson.com (£1,299)
25th June 2019, London: Mitchell & Johnson, the London-based hi-fi specialist, has formally launched the new S800 CD player, a (proudly) British-designed and manufactured disc-spinner that flies the flag for specialist UK manufacturing in the Brexit era.
The new £1,299 player, which was first unveiled in prototype form at February’s Bristol Hi-Fi Show, is now available in production form via Mitchell & Johnson’s global dealer network. Handmade in the Midlands, the new S800 CD player is one of only a handful of UK-made CD players and offers the myriad benefits of homegrown production.
Entirely engineered in the UK, the new S800 CD player is based upon the industry-leading ESS Sabre DAC chip, optimised for 44.1kHz replay, which offers high-performance digital-to-analogue conversion from the S800’s dual stereo RCA and balanced XLR outputs.
The S800’s precision-machined casework, which is graced by a solid aluminium fascia panel, is entirely UK-produced. A high-performance European-sourced CD drive takes care of disc control and data extraction.
Offering refreshing value for money for a handmade British CD player, the S800 also includes an audiophile-grade linear power supply with a high-quality Noratel Xtraquiet transformer for low-noise operation.
Connectivity options include both balanced and unbalanced outputs, plus Mitchell & Johnson’s 12-volt Power Link provides synchronized power on/off when used with compatible partnering equipment, such as the September 2018-launched S800 preamp and S815 stereo power amp (both £1,299 each). The trio provides a high-performance yet affordable, entirely British-made hi-fi system ready for connection to chosen loudspeakers.
Significantly, the S800 CD player and wider 800 Series represent a major milestone for Mitchell & Johnson, as the first products to launch following a significant managerial restructure, brand repositioning and strategic transition to exclusively UK-based design and manufacturing, attracting considerable financial investment during the last two years.
At this point, why buy a CD player when you can create a bit perfect digital copy and then upconvert the file to 24/192 or even DSD?
Sometimes playing music off a CD player just sounds better. Also, most upscalers deteriorate (to my ears) the sound. As you probably know, server digital playback is a whole ‘nother rabbit hole.
Should have a digital input IMHO