Chord Electronics Red Standard HDSD

The RED Standard CD player combines conventional CD playback with the addition of DAC64 conversion technology to give optimum performance at 44.1KHz sample frequencies. It is able to reproduce considerable clarity with the transient timings accurately reproduced via the 64 bit DSP core and 1024 tap digital WTA filter.
Based on the same trademark concept as our other products the RED Standard uses the same solid aluminium support structure for the CD mechanism. No compromise has been made on the front panel design and the RED Standard features the same ball bearing push button control and dual display system as the RED Reference. CD status is shown on one display and input, buffer and frequency information on the other. The unique 45 degree mechanism placement remains to allow front access even if placed on a stand or in a rack. Access to the CD is at the touch of a button operating a solenoid controlled fluid damped door. Rear connections are made via gold plated phono, plastic optical fibre or balanced XLR style connections.
Using the CD Pro 2 mechanism from Philips the standard sample rate digital output is taken via shielded cabling to the digital to analogue conversion electronics. Here using DAC64 technology the digital signal is converted from 44.1KHz to analogue audio using 1024 tap filtering and 64 bit digital signal processing core. The 64 bit 7th order noise shaping, 2048 times oversampling and improved pulse width modulated elements give better measured performance, more detailed resolution and a smoother more focused sound quality. RAM buffer technology can be used to give jitter free operation by sequentially taking in all the data, re-timing, it and sending it out. The three settings minimum, maximum and off can be selected via the front panel and status is clearly shown on the display.
Should you wish the RED Standard also features an AES Balanced and plastic optical fibre digital input to allow other source components to benefit from the DAC64 digital to analogue conversion. This can be especially useful where multiple digital sources are in a system as it removes the requirement for an additional external DAC. Again the inputs are easily selected from the front panel.
Field Programmable Gate Arrays are used throughout allowing reprogramming simply by changing the EPROM memory chip, thus future proofing is assured.
The RED Standard is an innovative product. It combines state of the art digital to analogue conversion with the build quality and looks to match. Used as a standalone CD player or as a combined DAC and player, it is able to deliver benchmark CD reproduction and is only bettered by the fully featured RED Reference player.