Primare CD35

Primare CD35: modular CD player with TEAC drive and ESS Sabre converter

CD35 is a full-width compact disc player built on a modular platform. It brings together a drive dedicated to CD playback, a digital-to-analogue conversion stage and an analogue output stage, and it offers both analogue and digital outputs. In this version it has no network functions: its sister CD35 Prisma already carries the SM35 Prisma module, which can be added to CD35 at a later stage.

The drive is a low-resonance TEAC CD 5020A-AT which hands the converter a digital signal free of jitter. Conversion is entrusted to the eight-channel, 32-bit ESS Sabre ES9028PRO chip, used in a balanced configuration. The output uses a FET stage with no capacitors along the signal path; the two channels and the digital and analogue sections have separate supplies, fed by an R-type transformer.

Key features

• Dedicated TEAC CD 5020A-AT CD drive
• ESS Sabre ES9028PRO D/A converter
• Balanced XLR stereo analogue output and RCA analogue output
• Selectable analogue output level, fixed or variable
• Optical Toslink and coaxial digital outputs
• Graphic OLED display and C25 remote control
• Ready for the SM35 Prisma network module

Connections

Towards the amplifier CD35 outputs analogue audio on balanced XLR or on RCA; for an external converter there are an optical Toslink output and a coaxial one. System control runs through IR in and out on 3.5 mm jacks, the 12 V trigger and the RS232 port for external control systems.

Technical data

Overall measurements are 430, 385 and 106 mm, buttons and connectors included, and the weight is 10.8 kg. Finishes on sale: Black and Titanium.