Denon's keeping CDs alive with a new high-end player

It's been a bit of a mixed week for fans and collectors of physical media. LG has reportedly stopped production of its Blu-Ray players, but on the other hand, Denon has just unveiled a really impressive high-end CD and Super Audio CD player.

It's fair to say that the Denon DCD-3000NE CD Player is a bit more advanced than your parents' CD deck. It's a high-spec CD and SACD player with Hi-Res digital audio support, Denon's Ultra AL32 processing, and a high performance 384kHz/32-bit DAC.

According to the brand, it is designed to bring out the "sonic detail in all of your favourite music".

Denon DCD-3000NE CD Player: key features and pricing

The Denon is claimed to be capable with all kinds of digital audio, including SACD, CD and DSD (2.8MHz/5.6MHz). It can read DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW files up to 192kHz/24-bit and can also play CD-R/RW content.

The Ultra AL32 processor promises excellent upsampling, supporting inputs of up to 384kHz/24-bit, and there's a Pure Direct mode to disable the display and digital outs to minimise any interference that might colour the sound. The player also includes Denon's patented SVH drive mechanism, which is designed to suppress vibration and deliver very precise speeds for flawless data reading.

With a price tag of £2,200 / €2,500 (about $2,800 / AU$4,375) this one's a bit beyond my own budget, but as the very happy owner of a fairly pricey (to me, at least) Marantz alternative I'm very aware of how much of a difference a really good CD player makes to even a relatively modest Hi-Fi setup.

The Denon DCD-3000NE is available to order now from authorised Denon retailers. You can find out more on the Denon website.