Creek Audio - 4040 CD

Digital outputs:  1x coaxial RCA, 1x optical TOSLINK, 1x AES-EBU balanced digital XLR

Audio output: Stereo audio output via RCA sockets

Mains voltage: Auto-ranging from 100V to 250V, 50/60Hz

Power Consumption:  20W, <0.5W – Max, Standby

Auto Standby:  Powers-down after a pre-set time with no signal. A front panel button or remote button press wakes the CD from standby, together with a useful 12V trigger Standby timeout is adjustable in the menu

Finish colours:  Optional silver or black front panel. Black outer cover

Weight: 1.8kgs (4lbs) net, <3kgs (6.6 lbs) gross

Size W/H/D: : 21.5 x 6 x 22 cm (8.46″ x 2.36″ x 8.66”)

Compact Discs may be a 20th century legacy format, but most people still have a perfectly good collection of CDs that, if not used, will be collecting dust, or sent to landfill. Your CD music is wholly owned and not borrowed from the cloud. So, why not exploit what is yours?

The diminutive 4040 CD’s case, with its extruded aluminium front panel, matches the 4040 A integrated amplifier. Technical advances and circuit miniaturisation over the last 40 years no longer need heavy casework and power supplies to extract digital music accurately from CD.

The 4040 CD’s intuitive user interface and sophisticated menu system are easily navigated by remote control or discreet front panel push buttons.

The 4040 CD offers three types of digital outputs for the discerning audiophile, including transformer-isolated SPDIF (via coaxial RCA), professional balanced AES-EBU (via XLR), and optical TOSLINK.

The 4040 CD provides a useful built-in DAC for convenient stand-alone analogue audio output, via a pair of RCA sockets. However, to ensure the highest quality audio reproduction, it is recommended to connect to the 4040 A by SPDIF coaxial or optical digital output, to leverage the amplifier’s excellent ES9018K2M ESS Sabre32 Reference DAC.

The key to the 4040 CD transport / CD Player’s impressive performance and small size is found in its efficient and rock-steady external DC power supply. The multi-region power supply adapter provides a solid 12V DC voltage to feed the 4040 CD’s internal voltage stabilisers that power every part of the circuitry.

Audio signal sensing enables the 4040 CD to reduce power consumption by powering down non-essential circuitry, when not required, to less than 0.5W. Timeout can be adjusted in the menu.

Properly recorded and well-maintained CDs can still provide resolution equal to most streamed music. The Compact Disc’s native 16 bit 44.1kHz format is adequate for most music replay and is not compressed. By comparison, most streamed music undergoes some form of compression to shrink its file size, with consequent losses. As a bonus, CDs provide a positive tactile experience and provide artist and title notes.