Denon’s RCD-CX1 is a marvel of miniaturisation but at £1,900 with speakers, this is bookshelf-sized electronics for the price of a serious, floor-to-ceiling hi-fi tower

Being a Denon, this isn’t just a flash toy for City boys. Over the past five years, hi-fi components have shrunk as fast as any other type of electronics, so the idea of gigantic ‘separates’ is becoming obsolete.

Components that would have practically broken your back five years ago can now be crammed into near-portable units, thanks to the increasingly huge number of logic gates – or switches – you can fit onto computer chips.

Hence the RCD-CX1, which packs in a 75W-per-channel amplifier and entices the bearded hi-fi buffs with the ability to handle Super Audio CD – a hi-def, surround-sound audio format beloved of audio’s lunatic fringe.

Denon’s signature electronics are all present – just smaller – from the vibration-suppressing CD loader to the firm’s trademark AL24 digital-audio processing for high-resolution audio.

It also has separate power sources for its analogue and digital parts, ensuring low interference between the player and the amp.

That was one of the benefits of having separate units.

As well as CDs and SACDs – and if you haven’t made the leap to the hi-def disc format yet, honestly, don’t bother – the RCD-CX1 can also play CDs of MP3 or WMA files, although you may not wish to sully its circuitry with anything less than lossless music. It also has an AM/FM radio built in – no DAB, oddly.

To really splash out, pair it with Denon’s mahogany-backed AH-D5000 headphones, a snip at £500 – but if you can afford the RCD-CX1, then stumping up the extra cash probably won’t be a problem. denon.co.uk

source: Rob Waugh www.dailymail.co.uk | Denon