Tangent’s CD II is a multi-format disc player that’s compatible with “all current CD formats” (including home made MP3 files) and with both digital optical and regular line-outputs. There is a surprising amount of headroom available from the 25W Class D output, but the performance starts to harden up a little at higher levels. The Bluetooth connection can also be momentarily upset by incoming phone notifications. Due to the UK leaving the EU, some of our delivery partners have changed the way we ship to international and offshore destinations. This means that for the time being we are unable to ship items to these locations. Overall operation of the CD II player was smooth and consistent, and through both the optical output and the RCA outs the sound was a joy to hear. You really cannot ask for much more at this price level.

So impressed with the apollo that I've been exploring the brio amp option to replace both my full sized CXA60 and separate cambridge phono stage with one small brio shaped box. I managed to find a ex demo unit at a decent price & option to return within 30 days if I wasn't happy so took the plunge! Prices valid in stores (all including VAT) until close of business on 29th November 2023. (Some of these web prices are cheaper than in-store, so please mention that you've seen these offers online.) High quality components are used by Danish company, tangent, to deliver a smooth and detailed sound. The robust slot-load mechanism uses fewer moving parts than a draw system, giving improved reliability. I listened to CDs for several days and found the combination to be quite pleasant and musical, which I cannot say had been my experience with past mini-systems. Generally, except for the most expensive mini-systems of the 1990’s, the average contender was tinny, shrill and offered far less than the normal expectations that people might have about hi-fidelity. In contrast, the DALI/Tangent combo was able to bring real musical joy into my living room. Long sessions proved unfatiguing and held many sonic surprises. One is not accustomed to small systems teaching you about the fine points of recorded music, but I can emphatically say that the DALI/Tangent combo brought new delights to the array of music that I plowed through.Digital Output: The Tangent CD Player II is equipped with a digital output, allowing effortless integration with other digital audio components for a seamless audio setup. High-Quality Sound: The Tangent CD Player II is meticulously crafted with premium components and advanced digital technology, ensuring an unparalleled sound experience. From crystal-clear highs to deep, rich bass, it elevates your music to new heights.

Compact systems have not been wildly popular in North America, but times are changing. With more people now in downtown condos and other small living spaces (mom and dad’s basement) the need for compact systems may be rising. Indeed, some people are now downsizing their large systems and are quite happy to ditch the complexity. A good example of a simple decluttering strategy can be found in a DALI Oberon 5 based system we wrote about recently, here. There are, of course, other very good compact speakers around, and certainly some quite highly regarded candidates by Proac and Harbeth that would challenge the little Spektors. But on a price versus performance basis there is really no contest. Invoking those brands in my comparisons should let the reader know that I take these baby DALIs seriously. You even get colour choices. Unlike here in Canada, really small speakers are available in Europe from dozens of manufacturers, domestic and imported. If you drop in to any ‘Richer Sounds’ store in the UK you will find whole walls of them. Even their floor standers are compact by our standards.I keep looking at them while shaking my head and saying ‘it cannot be’ as their dimensions are 5.5 X 7 X 9 inches – almost invisible. The first time I ever heard a Rogers LS3/5a, it was sitting on top of a Spendor BC3 (about a 50 liter cabinet). The sales guy doing the demo asked me which speaker was playing, and it was hard to know. I have the Spektor 1s sitting on top of my DALI Oberon 5s and it is hard to know which is playing. I am sitting two rooms away right now while I write this and they still sound pretty amazing. I strapped everything together and set the units up on an equipment table (see photo). I placed the speakers flat on the equipment stand about 4.5 feet apart and at knee high level. From a purist’s viewpoint this is not ideal, but it is a mini-system after all and many potential owners will set it up this way – for example in a student’s dormitory, or in a bedroom system or an office. Some compromises are often going to be necessary. The word that keeps recurring with the Ampster BT II is simplicity. If you’re looking to ease your way into the world of hi-fi, the Tangent Ampster BT II would be a fine place to start. It’s simple to set up, easy to use and, in tandem with the Q Acoustics 3010i, produces a sound that’s sweeping and appealing. Software developments have also created a more user-friendly operation particularly in multi-room environments or where commercial applications limit operation via the remote control.

Haven't set it up yet, but if all goes well my CXA60 and phono stage could be on the classifieds very soon! The only area where I'm thinking I will be disappointed is Spotify over Chromecast. On the CXA60 I was taking a optical connection to the amp and then using the cambridge dac instead of the basic dac within the chromecast. I presume the chromecast dac will be pants, but lets see how that goes. This is not the most extensive list of inputs going but it should be sufficient for most requirements. Crucially, that digital input is a little more talented than you might expect. Until recently, it would be have been entirely acceptable for it to top out at 16/48 or similar but Tangent has equipped the Ampster with the ability to handle 24/96. In the great scheme of things, this might not sound important but it means two things. The first is that the Tangent is likely to put in some decent numbers with ordinary 16/44.1. The second is that it does mean that the Ampster has the ability to work with you if you decide to use this as a starting point that will take you to the lofty peaks of the high end.

Tangent Ampster BT II

In the mid 1990s an array of mini-systems were still available in the shops. I lived in the UK for a couple of years during that period and if you went into a Dixon’s (something like Best Buy here), they were everywhere to be seen. The dial’s default position is volume, but give it a push and a twist and you can cycle through the various inputs. I also used a low-powered tube amp when I first set them up, my Unison Research ‘Simply Italy’, and it could drive them to ear splitting levels. From the first notes that issued forth I knew they were going to be amazing and I was frankly flabbergasted at how much good sound was issuing from these tiny boxes.