The Vincent CD-S7 DAC CD player has a durable, massive chassis with a steel shielding casing, a thick anodized aluminum front panel and solid support legs. The signature feature of the Vincent designers is the porthole, behind the glass of which an electronic lamp glows. This backlight is artificial, using a line of orange LEDs; its brightness can be adjusted and, if desired, turned off completely.
The transport is Philips VAN 1202, which is notable for its durability, low noise level and stable operation. Vincent engineers do not use lamps for beauty, but place them exactly where their use is truly justified. The Vincent CD-S7DAC player uses dual triodes 12AX7 and 12AU7 to build balanced output stages, which makes it possible to obtain a low level of noise and distortion without introducing deep feedback. A separate tube stage is provided for headphones.
The digital section is built on a modern Burr-Brown PCM-1796 converter, capable of working with 24-bit/192 kHz data. The player has a powerful power supply with separate stabilization circuits; premium parts are used in critical parts of the path, in particular, Wima and M-Cap film capacitors. In addition to analog XLR and RCA outputs, there is also digital coaxial. But there are two inputs – SPDIF and TosLink, which will allow you to use the player’s DAC to decode 44.1 kHz PCM signals from external sources.
The Vincent CD-S7 DAC lays a solid foundation for a fast and energetic sound that is completed with amplifiers and speakers. True, the upper bass sounded like a counterpoint to the harmonious picture – individual notes were reproduced like an indistinct rumble, which somewhat blurred the overall impression. Of course, the positive aspects worth noting are the high harmonic resolution, especially in the upper part of the spectrum. The brass section and cymbals sound very realistic, and the violins themselves are presented in detail, with characteristic nuances, but not intrusively.
Specifications Vincent CD-S7 DAC
DAC: 24bit/192kHz
Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz +/-0.5dB
Harmonic distortion: <0.005%
Signal-to-noise ratio: >94dB
Dynamic range: >100dB
Audio output voltage: 2.5V
Channel separation: >90dB
Max. Power Consumption: 25W
Inputs: 1 x 6.3mm Headphone Jack, 1 x USB, 1 x Optical, 1 x Coaxial, 1 x 3.5mm (Power Management)
Outputs: 1 x Stereo RCA, 1 x Stereo XLR , 1 x coaxial, 1 x 3.5 mm jack (power management)
Tubes: 2 x 6922, 1 x 6Z4, 1 x 12AX7
Playable formats: WAV, FLAC, APE, LPCM, MP3, ACC, AC3, WMA
Color: black / silver
Weight: 9 kg
Dimensions (WxHxD): 430 x 132 x 356 mm
