A Pleasure to Operate, a Joy to Hear

Germany's Vincent Audio is a company that doesn't brag a lot about its products or trumpet an extended features list. In fact, Vincent is known for ultra-clean designs that skip all of the bells and whistles and concentrate on amazing sound quality instead. The new CD-400 CD player is just such a component. From the Spartan yet fully capable front-panel design to its hand-assembled internal parts, this is a music machine that is a pleasure to operate and an absolute joy to hear.

The Vincent relies on a trusted Philips digital servo system for accurate reading of data from your CD. The internal DAC is a Burr-Brown PCM 1716 with resolution capability of a full 24-bit, 96 kHz. A coaxial digital output allows you to use the Vincent as a digital transport with your external DAC, but the sound quality of the CD-400 is so exquisite, we doubt that you will even be tempted. The analog outputs are gold-plated.

Variable Output Level

Unique to the Vincent compared to most CD players is an output level control that's operated via the wireless remote control. This is another one of those features that feels so essential once you start using it, that you wonder why it hasn't become an industry standard. It's great for using the CD-400 with an integrated amp that lacks a remote control. Vincent's wireless remote also includes a two-level dimmer and dimmer-off function, plus three repeat modes (including A-B repeat).

On the front panel is a cleverly arranged circular button array for controlling the Vincent's main playback functions. The rear panel includes a 12-volt trigger for easy system integration plus a removable IEC-style power cord.

Dedicated Headphone Stage

The majority of manufacturers seem to add a headphone output to a CD player as a kind of afterthought. You end up with cheap, mass market components that deliver an underwhelming headphone experience. But Vincent designed the CD-400 with an audiophile quality dedicated headphone stage that's fully the equal of this player's full capabilities. Like the rest of the headphone stage circuitry, the output level control is of the highest quality for extremely noise-free operation.

Contributing to the extraordinary overall performance is the use of premium internal parts throughout the CD-400's construction. Vincent uses the highest quality European resistors and capacitors, and the internal components are hand-assembled for an extra level of quality.