Design Features

Top loaded Integrated CD player and Transport
based on the Philips CDM12 PRO drive for the laser,
servo and control functions. Proprietary modifications are made to the Philips mechanism to suit the Metronome specifications.

One box design:
containing the reading mechanism, control electronic, analogue and digital outputs, and the 4 transformers power supply. This power supply configuration provides a good protection from EMI/RFI radiation from the different stages.
The CD mechanism is isolated from the rest of the unit
by a 3 points foam suspension.

Reading Mechanism:
Top loaded CD Transport based on the Philips CDM12 PRO drive for the laser, servo and control functions. Proprietary modifications are made to the Philips mechanism to suit the Metronome. specifications.
Clamp and shaft, specially designed are used to maintain for the best the CD in place. Both the use of a special stainless steel and a clamp made of Delrin permit to reproduce the best sound possible with low jitter since the reading is at the pit level. "Continuous Ground" link from the disc surface to the electrical earth: lower level of CD static charges and better working condition for the reading electronic Lightning of the CD surface and thickness for better information extraction: the light come inside of the
disk through the transparent Perpex clamp. A specially designed transparent “helmet” protect the reading mechanism when the unit is not in use.

Signal proceeding and D/A conversion:
The I2Sdigital signal extracted by the transport mechanism is transferred to the main digital / analogue board. There this I2S signal is firstly upsampled from 44.1kHz / 16 bit to 96 kHz / 24 bit by a digital upsampler. This upsampler by use of FIFO register contribute also to the reduction of jitter. After upsamplig the digital steam is delivered to a 192 kHz 24bit Digital to Analog converter.

Analog stage and filtering:
This D/A converter deliver a balanced analogue signal who is gently filtered then delivered to the analogue output buffer. The output buffer is made around a opamp with high current capability. Passive components include Vishay and Murata resistors and capacitors. Both balanced and un-balanced outputs are available with the same strait signal pass.