Luxman has launched their D-100 Centennial CD player to mark 100 years in the business.
This unit builds upon the exceptional D-10X CD player, that has been our reference unit since its launch. This was a universally praised CD player, easily outperforming CD players costing many times more. After a detailed comparison between the two models, we are pleased to report that the D-100 takes things a step further.
Firstly, the D-100 Centennial chassis has been upgraded, to integrate the metal enclosure of the in-house developed CD drive into the chassis itself, further minimising vibrations. The CD drive is now enclosed with 8mm thick bottom plate and sides and a 5mm thick steel plate on top. The unit overall is now weighs to 25.4kg, 3kg more than the outgoing D-10X.
The analogue output stage now utilises the new LIFES 1.1 analogue feedback engine. The result provides the low distortion, high linearity, and raw stability of a negative feedback loop design, while maintaining the open, organic vitality of a non-feedback design.
The DAC chip itself is the new version of the ROHM semiconductor flagship unit, found in the outgoing D-10X. The D-100 Centennial also features renewed digital processing paths and optimised thick copper (100 µm) gold-plated printed circuit board (PCB) layouts to further minimise stray capacitance and dielectric effects.
The high-definition monochrome OLED display has also been increased by around 70% making the screen much clearer from a distance and a higher-end appearance.
Our listening tests confirmed a dense sound-field, with the finest details more easily resolved, a direct result of the lower noise floor. The sound stage from Luxman products is always very holographic, with the D-100 Centennial improving this important characteristic further over the outgoing D-10X which was one of our references for a more natural music reproduction. Both wide and deep, with the latter being the key to a realistic portrayal of a concert hall experience. Very little colouration hence tonally correct. Vocals are rendered with real emotion. Transients have both attack and speed. Decays are dealt with real finesse. In short, this is an absolutely world-class player.
Further information can be found on the product pages.
