Comparison Denon RCD-N12 vs Denon RCD-N10

The ratio between the level of the useful signal and the level of extraneous noise at the output of the player.

This indicator describes the total amount of extraneous noise (of any origin) that affects the sound quality: the higher the signal-to-noise ratio, the less such noise and the clearer the sound, which is especially important for Hi-Fi and Hi-End systems. The minimum indicator for CD players is 85 – 90 dB, indicators up to 100 dB can be considered good, up to 110 dB — good, more than 110 dB — excellent.

The coefficient of harmonic distortion (harmonics) output by the CD player.

This parameter, along with the signal-to-noise ratio described above, characterizes the overall sound quality of the player. It is calculated by dividing the total sum of harmonics by the value of the main signal at a reproduced sound frequency of 1 kHz, and is expressed as a percentage. Significant levels of harmonics lead to deterioration in sound — from a general feeling of "roughness" and "excessive density" of the sound to the appearance of clearly audible noise; accordingly, the lower the harmonic distortion, the better. In relatively inexpensive CD players, this figure is measured in tenths of a percent, in top models it may not exceed several thousandths of a percent.

The RCA connector (colloquially referred to as "tulip") is used in many modern audio and video interfaces. However, in this case, this term refers to an output designed to transmit an analogue audio signal from a preamplifier to an external amplifier or active acoustics. This is one of the main interfaces used to connect components in modern audio systems. With this connection, only 1 channel of sound can be transmitted through 1 connector, therefore, a pair of connectors is considered to be one RCA output — for the left and right channels of stereo sound.

Inputs provided in the design of the CD player.

Note that the specific use of the inputs used for audio transmission varies by model. So, in some cases, it is possible to process sound with the built-in means of a CD player (adjusting the balance, frequencies, etc.); in others — signal conversion from analogue to digital format or vice versa (for example, broadcasting sound from the optical output of a Blu-ray player to acoustics), in others — real-time recording of the input signal, etc. But for service connectors, the purpose is quite clear.

Specific types of inputs can be as follows:

— Mini-Jack (3.5 mm). A standard connector widely used in modern audio equipment and other electronics, mostly portable. Technically, the mini-Jack input can be used for different types of signal, but in fact in CD players it most often plays the role of a line interface and is mainly used to connect the mentioned portable equipment — for example, audio players.

— Trigger. Service input used to automatically turn on the CD player. If you connect this input to the trigger output of another audio system component (for example, an audio receiver), this component, when turned on, will supply a control signal to the player and wake it up. In other words, the control device and the player will turn on at the same time, at the touch of a button — this is more convenient than turning on th...e equipment separately.

— Coaxial S/P-DIF. Interface for transmitting sound in digital format. Allows you to work with multi-channel audio up to 7.1 format inclusive. Technically an electrical variation of S/P-DIF; differs from the optical one described below, on the one hand, by greater sensitivity to electromagnetic interference, on the other hand, by a less delicate connecting cable. Note that this interface uses RCA connectors and a coaxial cable. However, unlike the "regular" analogue RCA (see above), in this case, all audio channels are transmitted over a single cable, and the wire itself must be shielded — when connected through a regular wire, there is a high probability of distortion due to interference.

— Optical. A modification of the S/P-DIF standard (see above), which involves signal transmission via a TOSLINK fibre optic cable. Being identical to the coaxial interface in terms of audio transmission capabilities, the optical connection is at the same time completely immune to electromagnetic interference, which makes it possible to achieve extremely high signal fidelity. The disadvantage of this connection is the fragility of the cable — it does not allow sharp bends and strong pressure, which can damage the fibre.

— Balanced digital (AES/EBU). Digital audio output in balanced format. This format provides noise immunity even with a long cable length, which is especially important in professional applications; in fact, the presence of an AES / EBU input indicates a rather high class device. Technically, this interface can use different connectors, but CD players usually use XLR jacks and plugs. From the "normal" (analogue) XLR, such a connection differs, in fact, in a digital format.

— RCA. Similar to the RCA outputs (see above), in this case we mean an interface for transmitting an analogue audio signal in the “one wire per channel” format, and one input is a pair of connectors for the left and right stereo sound channels.

— Control input (IR). Connector for connecting an external infrared remote control receiver. When properly placed, such a receiver will allow you to use the remote control even in places where the signal from the remote control cannot reach the main (built-in) sensor — for example, in another room. Note that not only individual sensors can be used as external receivers, but also other components of the audio system that are compatible with the remote control — for example, receivers or tuners.

— BNC. A type of coaxial connector used for various purposes. However, in this particular case, the BNC input is most often provided for working with an external clock generator responsible for timing the digital audio signal pulses. The need to use such equipment is due to the fact that when transmitting a signal between the components of an audio system, for various reasons, deviations of pulses in time may occur. This phenomenon is called "jitter". Deviations, it would seem, are very small (measured in picoseconds), but even such a small thing can significantly degrade the sound quality and increase the noise level. To avoid this, premium audio systems can use an external clock generator: by transmitting service pulses to other components, it sets the “general rhythm” under which the data packets move, and prevents desynchronization. To connect such a generator, a BNC input is usually provided. However, in some models this connector can also be used as a digital audio input, similar to the S / P-DIF described above.

— XLR. Formally, XLR is the name of a connector that has a round shape, several pins and a retainer to hold the plug in the socket. However, in this case we are talking about a very specific interface: an audio input with a three-pin plug used for balanced connection of an analogue audio signal. The peculiarity of this connection is that the cable itself plays the role of an interference filter, which allows you to transmit an audio signal with high reliability even over a rather long wire. At the same time, such reliability is rarely required for ordinary consumer audio equipment, so XLR is considered to be a professional connector. Note that, like RCA, in this case, one channel of sound is transmitted through one connector, and the standard XLR input consists of two jacks (for a stereo signal).

The highest rated signal power that a CD player with built-in amplifier (see above) can deliver to each channel without overloading. Rated is the average (rms) sound power output for a certain period of time; individual power surges can be much higher, but this indicator is still considered the main one.

By power, the overall volume of the player’s sound is most often estimated: the more powerful the amplifier, the louder the speakers connected to it can play. However, the use of this parameter is not limited to this. So, it is desirable that the nominal power of the speaker system connected to the player is not lower than that of the amplifier — otherwise, when working at high volume, the speakers may be damaged. On the other hand, it is worth bearing in mind that as you approach the maximum power, the number of distortions introduced into the sound increases: for example, a 200-watt amplifier at half power will sound cleaner than a 100-watt one at full power. Therefore, to ensure the purest sound, it makes sense to use powerful amplifiers operating at a low (by their standards) volume.

Note that with different load resistance, the power per channel will also be different; therefore, when specifying this parameter, it is often specified for which acoustics (at 2, 4, 6 or 8 ohms) the specified value is relevant.