Parasound C/DP-1000 CD-player
The American company Parasound is famous for its two-unit CD players. Such professional approach was applied by Parasound during the development of a "cheap" budget two-block CD-player, consisting of the C/DP-1000 transport and D/AC-1100 HD D/A converter. However, the C/DP-1000 transport unit is capable of "solo performances" as well, since it has a control path with a very high-end DAC. It was exactly in this configuration, i.e. as a single-unit CD-player, that we tested, because together with the DAC unit it was off the scale of $1600. The C/DP-1000 uses a high-quality CD drive train with separate power supply circuits for the drive and signal conversion circuits. The digital signal processing path uses hybrid 1-bit/18-bit Burr-Brown PCM 67U DACs and 8x oversampling digital filters in each channel. As standard, the C/DP-1000 is equipped with two high-quality RCA connectors on the analog audio amplifier output, made of titanium and plated with a thin layer of gold, as well as an RCA connector for the coaxial digital output. This is quite sufficient for a household CD player. If, however, the C/DP-1000 is used as a transport in professional equipment, an additional adapter module must be installed in it. So with a professional level transport it is only a half-player.
It is time, however, to move on to testing. What are your first impressions? Very stylish and elegant thing, which shows by its appearance that this is not a professional device, but certainly a semi-professional one. Controls on the front panel are the bare minimum. Built-in audio cable with gilded RCA connectors won our complete approval - it was surprisingly solid and competently made, well, much better than paltry "cords" from other CD-players sets. Finally, the turntable's remote control is modest, just like the turntable itself. This remote has only 20 buttons, and except for direct dialing of the track number it also allows controlling the display brightness, track repeat, program playback from CD and main modes of CD playback. Modest but classy! The player is turned on with a computer switch on the front panel, and the indicator lights up brightly with nice bluish numbers. The CD loader's receiving tray is unusual in that it has a spring-loaded tray, which gently takes a CD into its bosom. Very unconventional, but nice.
Listening confirmed the high class of this player. PARASOUND C/DP-1000 sounds very analytical: its sound is balanced both in frequency and dynamics of the played pieces. Instruments are clearly localized and sound detail is almost palpable. In general, the sound of the player is very academic. You can only complain about its "correct" sound because of the ascetic "correctness" of Parasound. This player never loses its head and will not let itself be carried away by even the most incendiary dance rhythms. Probably, for connoisseurs of the real audiophile sound of the equipment this player will be the best in the test. However, its detailed and dynamic sound will please many audiophiles as well. And if you are not embarrassed by its professional design, then make sure to include it in the list of possible candidates for purchase.
