Yamaha CD-N500 Network CD Player Preview

[admin]

Yamaha is continuing to expand its line of retro styled HiFi gear with the release of the CD-N500 Network CD Player. This is the first CD/network player combo that Yamaha has released in their HiFi lineup, and we think it fills a nice gap. The front panel is constructed of aluminum and has a USB input for direct connection to an iOS device or other USB storage device. The back of the unit has stereo RCA analog outputs, optical, and digital coax. In order to guarantee the best sound quality possible, Yamaha employed a 192KHz/32-bit Burr-Brown DAC and left-right symmetrical audio circuitry. It also has two independent power supplies, one for the Network/USB circuity, and one for the CD/DAC/display components. Vibrations are eliminated by using two different vibration damper pads that keep the CD mechanism decoupled from the chassis. It's a cool product, but at $799 it's not for the budget minded audiophile. But, then again, it's much less than some of the competition, which can cost well over $2,000 without a DAC.

Discuss "Yamaha CD-N500 Network CD Player Preview" here. Read the article.

 

[JohnA]

Why not use an OPPO DVD player...

 

[3db]

I love the styling of this unit. However, its hard to justify a unit in this price range that will only play CDs and not any other format. I think I'll pass.

 

[mc_ro]

Nice product and considering the features - worth the price.

 

[bikemig]

I think this is a step in the right direction. I don't currently use a CD player but I have been thinking of buying one. I know I'd like some extra features built in for computer playback and networking is a plus. I'd really like a CD player with digital inputs but those are not that common and fairly expensive.

 

[aldante]

I was puzzled by the sentence "We are glad to see the high-end market start to embrace digital audio". There have been network audio players by Arcam, Bryston, Cambridge Audio, Cyrus, Denon, Linn, Marantz, Musical Fidelity, NAD, Naim, and many others. The high-end market caught on to it much earlier than Apple and Co. (And of course the CD is digital audio too, and has been around for more than 30 years.) The main question is however: who still needs a CD player? Ripping with dBpoweramp and playing from a NAS system is more convenient, less expensive, and offers better sound quality.