Digital Drive: REVIEW: Audio Aero Capitole CD Player MKII CD Player/Recorder by smart845

Model:	Capitole CD Player MKII
Category:	CD Player/Recorder
Suggested Retail Price:	Â£3500
Description:	Re-sampling CD Player
Manufacturer URL:	Audio Aero
Manufacturer URL:	Audio Aero

Review by smart845 ( A ) on June 08, 2002 at 00:31:22
IP Address: 195.92.67.74

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for the Capitole CD Player MKII

The wait for the MKII Capitole felt like an eternity, but this CD player now sits high and proud on itsâ€™ BDR cones at the centre of my system (see inmate system). The Capitole is large, almost 18â€™â€™ x 18â€™â€™ and weighs about 30lbs, so a suitable support is mandatory. Currently I have an Apollo stand with a lightweight platform atop, which appears to bring out the best of this player in my system. Whether this is a function of the BDR cones or not is open to discussion. (Thanks to Tbone for his suggestion).
What do you get for your money (Â£3500 in the U.K.)? Well you get a player that eschews some automation and that last ounce of build quality but more than makes up for this in the musical qualities it possessesâ€¦â€¦..more of this later. Operation is simple. Slide the manual top cover back (the degree of friction is adjustable from underneath the top cover but should only be done by your dealer as you may invalidate your warranty); insert disc, place magnetic puck on disc and close the cover. TOC is read as the cover is closed and donâ€™t forget the puck, your CDs will not welcome the mistake, I know! Two groups of four buttons flank a central blue display, these arranged in a compass pattern. To the left at N/S is volume +/- and at E/W is channel select. These also control balance adjustment. To the right at N/S are pause/play and stop, while E/W control track next and previous. Via the plastic (cheesy) remote you also have direct track access, scan, shuffle, repeat track/disc, programme, phase inversion, time (various) and display adjustment through four levels. Stop also switches the player on from standby via the remote or front panel. Audio Aero recommend leaving the unit on at all times or on standby in order for the electronics to remain stabilized. In fact, standby only switches the display off leaving all else active. If powered off from the rear power switch, full performance takes two days according to the manual. Needless to say the Capitole does get warm with most of the heat coming from the transformer rather than the output valves, CDs coming out warm to the touch. I wouldnâ€™t advise placing this player in a confined space, difficult to do given itsâ€™ top-loading status. Three other buttons on the remote are labelled CD, PRE/AMP and CD/PRE. CD fixes the selected output level for connection to a preamp. CD/PRE activates the remote control functions allowing all commands, especially useful is volume control, a luxury to this user and essential given the players wide dynamic range. PRE/AMP is an unknown to me; perhaps it controls a separate preamp. Anyone else shed light on this?
As for the rear panel it has balanced and single-ended analogue out; SPDIF, AES/EBU, AT&T, Toslink and COAX digital inputs; and SPDIF digital output. For a description of the internal technologies used please visit Audio Aeroâ€™s website as I find them hard to understand never mind explain them in this review.
All in all one simple, elegant and easy to use CD player with touches of vinylâ€™s ritual (open lid, place CD, place puck, close door, play). Is it this that makes our lives more fun?
I hope to cover the sound quality in part two of this review. Currently itâ€™s on a roller coaster ride, something Iâ€™ve experienced with cables, which may take upwards of 500 hours to stabilize and for my appreciation of itsâ€™ qualities to mature. In the meantime I will experiment with running directly into power amps and also into a preamp. Regretfully I wonâ€™t be able to try balanced or use other cables nor for the present other digital sources.

Product Weakness: So far bass and rhythm,timing.
Product Strengths: So far transparency and a purity most noticeable on vocals, piano and brush strokes.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Unison Research smart845 se monoblocks
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Unison Research Mystery One
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	None
Speakers:	Impulse Lali
Cables/Interconnects:	Kimber MonocleXL/kimber Select 1030
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Lots
Room Size (LxWxH):	20ft x 15ft x 20ft
Room Comments/Treatments:	Little, a little too live at the moment.
Time Period/Length of Audition:	9 days only, still breaking in.
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Lots of Kimber and RATA products
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	So far bass and rhythm,timing.
Product Strengths:	So far transparency and a purity most noticeable on vocals, piano and brush strokes.