Description: CD player with remote control. Digital outputs: S/PDIF on BNC and RCA. Analog outputs: RCA (1 pair). Maximum output level: 2.7V at 1kHz. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, ±0.3dB. Channel separation: >110dB at 1kHz. Signal/noise ratio: >100dB. THD: 0.004% at 1kHz, 0dBFS. Output impedance: 100 ohms.
Dimensions: 8.5" (220mm) W by 1.8" (45mm) H by 14" (360mm) D. Weight: 7 lbs (3.2kg).
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: 0401012.
Price: $1450. Approximate number of dealers: 29.
Manufacturer: NuForce, Inc., 382 S. Abbott Avenue, Milpatis, CA…
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Sidebar 1: Specifications
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP, Luxman DU80 universal players; Simaudio Moon Evolution SuperNova CD player; Apple PowerMac G5, Apple Mac mini with 250GB LaCie & 2TB Infrant Technologies NAS hard drives; Benchmark DAC1, Bel Canto USB Link 24/96 USB-to-S/PDIF converter, Musical Fidelity X-DACV3 D/A converters.
Preamplifiers: Ayre Acoustics K-1xe, Luxman C800f, NHT PVC.
Power Amplifiers: Luxman B100f, Parasound Halo JC 1 (all monoblocks).
Loudspeakers: NHT M-00, Thiel CS3.7, Vivid G1Giya.
Cables: USB: EntreQ Discover. Interconnect:…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
To measure the NuForce CDP-8 CD player, I used Stereophile's loaner Audio Precision SYS2722 system. (See www.ap.com and "As We See It" in the January 2008 issue.) For some tests, I also used my Audio Precision System One Dual Domain and the Miller Jitter Analyzer.
The NuForce CDP-8's maximum output level at 1kHz was 2.58V, which is 2.2dB higher than the standard 2V. This player will sound louder in any comparison with another product, something that will need to be compensated for. The output impedance was to specification, at 100 ohms across the audioband…
Manufacturers' Comment
Editor: Thank you for taking the time to review our CDP-8 CD player. We are humbled by Wes Phillips' very positive response to the CDP-8, and by the company he chose to compare it with. Both Benchmark and Ayre Acoustics are companies we really respect.
We are also embarrassed and chagrined by the poor jitter measurement. We had felt that the basics of performance were addressed by design, and have been applying our effort at listening and making decisions based on listening. Like Wes, we had not noticed any significant degradation in the sound, so we had no…
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