REVIEW: Thoughts and Insights on the SW1X CDP III
Forty-seven years and counting, I am both an audiophile and a technologist. If anyone told me six years ago that I would forego the latest and greatest in technology and the highest resolution possible, I would have laughed them off the platform. Friends and family will attest that most of my life has been on the bleeding edge of technology, and in 2018, I encountered SW1X Audio Design and its founder Slawa Roschkow, and this ended. It started innocently enough when I was a reviewer, covering gear and interviewing musicians, manufacturers, and designers. Here is my interview with Slawa at SW1X headquarters in Coggeshall, Essex, United Kingdom: Interview I was living in London at the time and erroneously assumed that SW1X referred to a postal code in South London, so you can imagine my surprise when I realised I’d be heading Northeast on the train into the wilds of Essex.
My first introduction to SW1X gear came in the form of a DAC III STD, shortly ex\changed for a modified and upgraded DAC II STD and an LPU I Phono Stage. This experience got me on my way with tubes/valves 35 years prior I began tinkering with an Audio Note DAC I that I had built from a kit, and I presumed that higher quantifiable specifications would yield better results and improved sonic quality. Oh, to be young, virtuous, and misguided. I know enough about technology, computers, and networking, wanting to enjoy myself with digital audio and not get bogged down in the minutia of computer networking protocols and an assemblage of boxes and cables unnecessarily complicating matters.
This situation led to me acquiring an SW1X CDP (Complete Digital Player) III, a combination of a DAC III SPX and a VDT 1 / 2 Transport and Streamer housed conveniently inside one chassis. In combination, I achieved the best of two worlds and could not be happier. The VDT runs from Volumio, Linux-based audio software, and is easily configurable to be recognised over one’s network via UPnP & DLNA. One can load music from locally attached USB storage or over the network and load files from a NAS (Network Attached Storage). The VDT as a media renderer means that 3rd party software like Audirvana can recognise the CDP III, but it does not end there. Volumio made an optional plug-in available that turns the VDT into a “Roon Bridge” making it also recognisable by Roon. SW1X’S CDP III is versatile and flexible, enabling audiophiles to choose how to interact with their music libraries and streaming services.
Fatigue from digital audio is its hobgoblin and something I wanted to avoid at all costs. Before acquiring the SW1X CDP III, I would have to take time-outs from listening as I grew weary from listening until I would invariably switch back to my SW1X DAC II STD, resolving that problem but still leaving me with extraneous devices and cables and a yearning for enhanced sonic quality. The CDP III cleared out physical space while affording me the desired pure, organic sound. The music emanating from my system effortlessly washes over me, and I don’t want my listening sessions to end. Digital Audio should be about music and not require a Computer Science degree. With 50 years of practical experience, I prefer to leave that in my office far removed from my listening room.
In Cartesian terms, an audiophile’s listening experience can be graphed along the x, y and z (set of imaginary numbers) axes. Let’s consider the auditory image and spatial impression (the music’s sound stage and dimensionality) as how best to describe what I am experiencing when listening to the SW1X’s CDP III. The auditory image across the x-axis is vast. I can hear all the instruments across the concert hall stage and discern from one section to another. While distinct, the blend and transitions between the sections sound natural, as when attending a concert in person. The spatial impression during listening sessions enveloped me, triggering all my senses. When the music comes alive the graph’s coordinates are totally in sync.
Taken from the SW1X website: CDP III features: (for those who find clicking on a link too much work <grin>)
SW1X Audio Design™ CDP III Complete DAC Player Features:
DAC III Section
- Pure NOS (Non-oversampling – zero digital domain filtering) Design
- Selected and Harmonically Matched Component & Material Quality
- Anode Follower, Zero Negative Feedback, Single Ended, Class A, RC (resistive load, capacitive de-coupled) Valve Amplification Topology
- 6N6P Double Triode Valve Output Stage
- Directly Heated 5Y3 (SPX version) Valve rectified CLC (choke filtered) Power Supply
- Active I/V conversion via a single specially selected transistor (with less than 10 Ohm input impedance) with the shortest signal path directly connected to the tube grid
- The circuit is wired with a specially selected copper (single strand or Litz)
- Discrete Transistor Shunt Voltage Regulated Power Supplies for the TDA1541, SPDIF receiver and active I/V conversion
- 3 (4 x on VSB version) x EI core Mains Transformers & 2 x Chokes
Specially Selected and Harmonically Matched Component & Material Quality
- M6 grain orient EI core Mains Transformers & Chokes (SPX version)
- Black Gate de-coupling Capacitors for TDA1541 DAC (SPX version)
- AN Copper Foil Signal Output de-coupling Capacitors
- Internally wired exclusively with our SW1X Magnum, Genesis and Opus conductors of various geometry (single strand or Litz)
- AB 2W non-magnetic Carbon film Resistors (SPX version)
Tube Compliment: 1 x 6X5 (5Y3 SPX Version), 1 x 6N6P, 1 x E180F, 1 x EAA91
VDT Digital Transport Section
- Discrete Transistor Master Clock
- Valve Output Stage for the SPDIF signal Output
- Discrete & independent Linear Power Supplies for CPU, Master Clock & Output Stages
Specially Selected and Harmonically Matched Component & Material Quality
- Minimum amount of SMD components
- All Capacitors, Resistors, Transformers & Chokes are of the Highest Quality as used in our DACs and Amplifiers
- SW1X Audio Design™ M6 grain orient EI core Mains Transformers & Chokes (SHiB double C-core available as an option)
- Internally wired exclusively with our SW1X Magnum, Genesis and Opus conductors of various geometry (single strand or Litz)
- Copper Foil in Oil Signal De-coupling Capacitors
- AB 2W non-magnetic Carbon Film Resistors
Power Supply
- Powered by 2 x audio signal grade M6 EI core Mains Transformers: 1 x Master Clock, 1 x SPDIF Output and 1 x for the CPU
- Valve rectified the Power Supply for the Master Clock
- Valve rectified and Choke filtred Power Supply for the SPDIF signal Output Valve Output Stage
- Discrete Transistor, Shunt Voltage Regulated Low Voltage Power Supplies
Audio Playback
- Coaxial SPDIF Audio Output, PCM up to 192 kHz 24/32 bit
- AES/EBU Audio Output, PCM up to 192 kHz 24/32 bit
- USB Audio Output, PCM up to 768 kHz 32-bit
Inputs/Outputs
- 1 x Valve amplified SPDIF
- 1 x AES/EBU
- 1 x I2S
- 3 x USB 2.0
- 1 x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN
- 1 x HDMI (optional)
Operation System
- Audio playback optimised Linux or ArchLinux-based OS such as Volumio (standard) or similar
- Supported Formats WAV, FLAC, DSD, Alac, Aac, Vorbis, Cue, Mp3 and others
- UPNP DLNA Renderer with Open Home support
- Supported Services Airplay via Shairport Sync, Spotify & Spotify Connect, TIDAL & TIDAL Connect, QOBUZ
User Control Interface
- Web Browser or App-based
Tube Compliment: Output Stage 1 x E180F
