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Metronome Le Player CD player I f,549O

"When'entry level'soundsthis good..."FOR Agile and articulate; plentyof insight; expressive dynamics

Don t l(now Metronome? The comparywas founded in l9B7 by Dominiqueciner (who still designs the products)and is based in Toulouse.It s a brand bestknown for its exotic-looldng high-enddigital creations.

The term 'entry level' is normallyused for a cheaperproduct, but thatdescrlption certainly doesn't apply here.For Metronome, 'entry level means LePlayer - a chunky 151€ aluminium-cladunit that promises a large slice of theperformance ofits pricier siblings, but ata fnction of the cost. The company'sfl agship transport/DAc combination, theI(alsita Ultimate SE/Nausicaa, costsaround a dozen times as Inuch, so ifthatholds true Le Player could be a bargain.Inhigh end tems at least.

Relive the turntable ritualThings start off well. While offeing noneofthe outlandish aesthetic treats ofother (much more expensive)Metronome products, Le Player is still animposing unit once placed on ourlack.Ithas to go on the top shelfbecause this isa top-loading design none ofyourickety plastic loading tlays here andany other level won t leave enough space

to load the disc comfortably.We've always liked top-loading CD

players. It makes them seem more exoticand adds some of the dtual ofusing a

tuntable into the deal. Here you slidebacka thick aluminium lid, exposingtheCD spindle and laser mechanism. Don'tbe tempted to touch the laserthough.

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AGAINST Ergonomicscould be a little better

The transportis a Philips GF8 unit thathas been modified by Metronome. Itnow features arevised motor spindle (toimprove stability) and a magnetic puckmade mostly of Delrin (a highlycrystalline polJ,'rner). The nicely shapedpuckis there to enswe the discls heldsecwely on the spindle. Make sure youdon't lose it - the player won't workwithout the puck in place.

The whole transport assembly ismounted on a Perspex support to helpcontrol resonances. There are two largecircular cut-outs on the top surface toprovide cleannce when putting the discin.It's a nice ideabut theirplacementdidn t suit allourreviewels.

As wouldbe expected at thislevel,Metronome has taken a lot ofcare withthe power supply arangement. Theconfiguntion used inLe Player is madeup ofno fewer than thlee mainstransfomers and seven disoete supplylines. The idea is to prevent degradationof performance caused by interferencebetween the vadous analogue, digitaland control sections ofthe circuitry.

Simple button layoutThe rest ofthe Metronome's chassis is as

solidly built and nicely finished as you'dhope, though the only colour option issilver at the moment. The front panelcontrol layout is simple, with just thebasic transport functions accessible.Its a

shame these buttons aren't paticularlyprecise orpleasant to use though. At thispdce there is no excuse.

**** *

This shortcoming makes it all themore impo ant the remote feels so nice.It's not particularly flashy, but the clearlayout and sensibly positioned buttonsmal(e it a pleasure to use. Theunit s

display is pretty clear too, though themix ofupper and lower-case lettersmakes it look like a relic ofthe 90s.

Look around the back of Le Player andyou'll find the usual single-ended RcAand balanced XLR analogue outputsalongside a coax digital output. Don't besurprised ifyou find the Metronomesounds a little louder than normal. ItsRCAanalogue outputs are set to anoutput voltage of2.5v rather thanthemoreusual2.0 volts, so make sure you

TEMPTATION

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Delrin magnetic puck hoids the CD on themotorspindle.

^,4akesureyou don't lose it

The remote handsei is a good one. The

sensib y sized buttons a re well organised too

Make sure you close ihe lid properly,

otherwise the Meironomewon'i read thedisc

TEMPTATION

IN DETAII...

OUTPUTS

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LEF' I

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USB IN

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compensate for this in any comparison.Usually, the louder option tends toimpress more, on a short listen at least.

Thebackpanel is also home to theUSB input. This opens up the player'sintemal DAC to computer sources, andthat can only be a good lhing. i\or onl\ rs

Le Player's intemal DAC circuitrylikelyto be much better rhan thar used in mostsources, but such an input also offers a

degree of future'proofing. That'ssomething to bear in mind when you'rethinking ofspending so much money.

More accurate clockThe USB input is an asynchronousdesign where the Metronome takescharge of the timing ofinformation flowbetween it and the computer.In theory,theplayer's clockis more accurate thanthat used in the partnedng computer,which should lead to a better sound.

TheUSB will accept signals up to24-bttl192kHz,bt]t you'll need to loadthe dedicated software ddverc onto yourMac or PC. Normally the drivers builtinto a Mac computer operating systemtend to be compatible with mostoutboard DACS we've tried, but in thiscase our laptop didn't even register theMetronome until the coirect softwarehad been installed. Everything runssmoothly after that is done.

Ourreviewunit hadwhat seemed tobe a misadjusted sensor on the cD lid.At times we hadto open and shut thecover a couple of times before the playerwould work. But given that our playerhad clearly done the rounds beforegetting to us, we'll give Metronome thebenefit ofthe doubt.

We start with an oldjazz favourite inthe fom of Bill Evans s EverlbodJ) DigsBill tvarJ. Here the Metronome deliversa terific performance. Peace Piecels a

slowburner, and is rendered with all thefinesse it deserves. We've heard thispiece delivered in amore relaxed way,but there s much to like about its moredirect and communicative approach.

There's a pleasing solidity to Evans'spiano and superb insight into theiostrument's dch harmonic envelope.There s power too, as and whentheplaying demands. we like the way theMetronome maintains the delicateforward momentum of the music this issomething that can so easily seemstagnant through lesser 1dt.

Tonally, things err alittle towardsleanness in our system, but not so muchas to be an issue in a balanced set-up.There's plenty of weight and authodty,but the emphasis here is on agility andarticulation. This is a responsiveperformer that defines transients withcrisp precision and control.

Those qualities are made all the moreobvious when we play Tchaikovslry's1812 Orcrture. Le Player takes the wilddynamic swings in its stide, deliveringthemwith a spellbinding combination ofcomposure and dlama. There's plentyofJ Jck here. bul also lop cla.s refinemenlthat stops things goingtoo far.

Ready to rockThe Metronomes sense of organisationis impressive, as is its ability to keeptrack of lowlevel instrumental strandseven when the piece becomesdemanding. It's this ability to keepcontrol yet avoid sounding controllingthat s so impressive.

The sound-staging is suitably stableand layered. The Metronome doesn'tmake as much ofthe spacebetweeninstruments as some, and the sense ofdepth isn't quite as expansive as it couldbe, but neither ofthese things is enoughto spoil our enioyment.

IN DETAIT We try a bit ofrock in the form ofBruce Spdngsteens -Ra dio Nowherc, andagain the Metronome shines.Its fast,punchy and latches on the song'shard-charging rhythm track with glee.

The production is pretty dense, andhardly the cleanest around, but theplayer communicates the drive anden ergy brilliantly. There's plentyofpower in the bass and an impressivedose of attack throughout.

Just as good via USBWorded that all this goodworl(mightbe undoneby the USB input, weconnect our resident MacBook Airwith Pure Music software and pressplay. Andthe USB sounds as convincingas the CD section.

Playing a range offiles, from intimatepieces such as Beethoven's MoonlightSonata (16-bitl 44.IkHz) through todynamically demanding works such as

Hans Zimmer's Got am's Reckoning(24bitl192kHz) and Kanye Wesr's yeez4s

(16 bit/44.1I(H2), the Metronomecontinues to sparlde. Its combination ofagility, insight and rhythmic precisionmakes the most of the music played.

Le Player may lack the sheer visualdlama ofits pdcier stabiemates, but itssound is one to treasrre- Ergonomicsarent flawless, but the overall paclcge is

tempting. If Metronome s entry levelsounds this good, we can t wait to hearwhat the upmarket models sound like.

WHATHI'FI?'oy,:RATING *****ilnfifififiilfifi8ilrMfifitrfiVERDICT Metronome's Le Player may be

the French cornpany's entrylevel option,but it s stilla terrific sound ing unit

balanced XLRand

single-ended

a nalog ue outputs.

hisherthan normal

Le PlayersUSBinpuineeds special d river

software to work. ltis provided on a disc

Generalbuild quality

is sood. Casework

pleasing

KEY FEATURES

al--E;lTOP IOADING CD

PLAYER

--S*USB DAC

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