Specifications

©DAGOGO 2010 – special reprint by permission. Page 9
control. This was a fun device as it allowed not only for control of the level but also influencing
the sense of intensity of the signal.
Combine the GAIN feature with the ease and openness of upsampling to 24 bit/192 kHz and the
player takes on a lush, smooth sound which is quite addictive. I have generally not used the
upsampling feature of players; while it “fills in” the music a bit it tends to smear the signal
slightly. While the music becomes more analogue-like it also is less precise. The CD-5’s GAIN
feature, however, works magic with upsampling such that I’m less disturbed by the extraneous
information in the signal. The music sounds as though less converted and more diverted, as if it’s
a stream guided in a different direction but not significantly polluted.
What Does It Profit To Gain The Whole World?
The GAIN feature of the CD-5 is a potentpart of its capabilities. I was pleasantly surprised by its
ability to leverage the sense of power and scale. I had two perfectly affordable reference speakers
on hand to investigate how it works, the Legacy Audio Focus SE at 4 Ohm 96 dB sensitivity, and
the Kingsound King, having 83 dB sensitivity and requiring an amp which can handle a dip
below 2 Ohms. The Focus SE has proven to be fairly easy to drive, while the King is, shall we
say, difficult.
Speaking first in regard to the King, it is a speaker which benefits greatly from stout amplifiers,
like the Moscode 402Au amps. The Pathos amps drove the King speaker with authority.