The pleasures of reviewing a new CD player reside in its light weight, compact dimensions, and, most of all, its ABC-simple installation: no cartridge to mount, no stylus to break, no step-up transformers or cartridge-load values to explore. No server, no Ethernet switches, no digital processor or outboard clock, no NOS, OS, filter choices, or upsampling (usually), no DSD or DXD, no specialized cables, and—especially—no garish, billboard-sized LCD menu to trigger anxiety. Just plug the player in, connect it to a preamp, and choose a CD to play first.
The Viking put Gieseking’s minutest tempo changes front and center where I could “watch” them and be captivated by them. Yes, folks, digital audio was once that simple.
Streamed digital presents audiophiles with a morass of format choices, streaming-company choices, and…
