TEAC P-2/D-2 (1989) | Esoteric CD

 

This is the P-2/D-2 CD Drive & Multi-D/A Converter system from Teac (also available as one of a early Esoteric branded model). Housing the drive and the D/A converter stage in separate components, optimized for their respective functions, ensures the highest possible performance. The P-2 is a CD drive with V.R.D.S. While the CD is usually held only in the spindle area, this drive's advanced V.R.D.S. (Vibration-Free Rigid Disc-Clamping System) uses a suspended, CD-sized platter made of die-cast zinc alloy that stabilizes the CD across its entire surface. The surface is slightly concave so that the disc sits flat when pressed down onto the platter from below. This suppresses unwanted vibrations and knocking movements that could interfere with tracking precision. The device is designed so that the disc is automatically centered when clamped. This prevents overreactions from the tracking servo that could degrade sound quality. The P-2 drive is designed to minimize the need for servo corrections. While the V.R.D.S. system reduces the activity of the tracking servo to the unavoidable minimum, it must still intervene in the event of any CD defects and ensure correct playback. To prevent signal interference in this case as well, the P-2 drive uses the TEAC-exclusive CN servo, which filters out potentially destabilizing elements from the servo signal using a low-pass filter and also helps to protect the optical system from the transmission of interference vibrations. To ensure that external vibrations do not compromise the improvements provided by the highly stable V.R.D.S. drive, it rests on a solid die-cast base within a robust chassis made of 1.6 mm thick sheet steel with a maximum 18 mm thick aluminum front plate. This gives the P-2 solid durability and high density for clean suppression of footfall noise and ensures optimal tracking under all conditions. Disc Drawer - The 8 mm thick aluminum drawer glides smoothly and silently on six precision-machined ball bearings. The opening and closing speeds are separately adjustable via side controls. The drawer features a gold-plated trim strip at the front with an inlaid silver emblem and is coated with Nextel, a robust, high-viscosity material that protects records from scratches. The P-2 is also coated externally with Nextel, giving the drive a high-class appearance. The D-2's TEAC-exclusive ZD-II circuit improves the linearity of the D/A conversion process and helps to better protect the analog output signal from noise and distortion. The well-established original circuit, the "ZD," utilizes the "dithering" technique long used in digital studio recording. Before D/A conversion, "dither" (digital random noise) is added to the digital signal, which is later subtracted to improve bit homogeneity (linearity) across the entire 18-bit range (262,144 levels). The D/A conversion error is spread out instead of concentrating on specific signal levels, as it would without dithering. The D-2's new "ZD-II" goes a step further by shifting the dither signal into the ultrasonic range, outside the range of human hearing This allows for a significantly better reproduction of delicate small signals and through the "Distortion Shaping"- The effect is a drastic reduction in distortion. The D-2 converter uses a 45-bit digital filter with eightfold oversampling, which minimizes the "rounding errors" that occur during digital processing. A newly developed noise shaper adapts the 45 bits to the 18-bit format. Small signals below 18 bits are not rounded, so the resolution extends below the noise floor. Thanks to these improvements, the converter offers unprecedented sensitivity and clarity with low-level signals. Specifications: Size (W/H/D) 225x134x490mm (P-2) 225x134x485mm (D-2) | Weight 13kg (P-2) 11kg D-2) | Original sale price in Germany 6.000 + 6980 DM

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