![TEAC VRDS-701](https://cdn.magzter.com/1345126686/1702383000/articles/MRgucx4QL1702450384344/TEAC-VRDS701.jpg)
While we enjoy the benefits of streaming as much as anyone, there is a certain hands-on appeal to CD players that we can’t ignore. More than that, we like to own our music and be able to play it any time we want. Given the relatively fickle nature of streaming rights and the slightly erratic stability of an internet connection, we still see a place for a high-quality CD player in our systems.
Of course, this far into the age of streaming, new CD player launches are thin on the ground, and what was once a raging river of new products has slowed to a mere trickle. So, when TEAC launches a premium player like the VRDS-701 we can’t wait to have a go.
Those initials – VRDS – will mean a lot to hi-fi fans of a certain vintage and are more than some random letters that make up a product name. They stand for Vibration-free Rigid Disc-clamping System and indicate the use of TEAC’s proprietary CD transport design. There have been numerous versions of this mechanism found in products that range in cost from premium to ultra high-end but the basic idea is always the same, and that’s to minimise rotational vibration and other disturbances by clamping the entire surface of the CD rather than just in the middle, as pretty much every alternative does. The idea is that reducing these unwanted outside influences allows the laser to read the disc more easily and the result should be a better sound. We have heard enough TEAC VRDS-equipped CD players and transports over the years to find that is usually the case.
This story is from the January 2024 edition of What Hi-Fi UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2024 edition of What Hi-Fi UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
![System of the month](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1227/1737145/9jYHSn9y21718806594587/SYSTEM-OF-THE-MONTH.jpg)
System of the month
A superb set-up that will bring you equal joy whether playing games or watching movies
![I SPENT 24 HOURS IMMERSED IN DOLBY ATMOS MUSIC - THESE ARE 8 KEY THINGS I LEARNED](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1227/1737145/2UpW-40Lp1718806286807/I-SPENT-24-HOURS-IMMERSED-IN-DOLBY-ATMOS-MUSIC-THESE-ARE-8-KEY-THINGS-I-LEARNED.jpg)
I SPENT 24 HOURS IMMERSED IN DOLBY ATMOS MUSIC - THESE ARE 8 KEY THINGS I LEARNED
What Hi-Fi? deputy editor Andy Madden gained some interesting insights from the world of immersive audio on a visit to a Dolby Atmos studio
![Philips Fidelio L4](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1227/1737145/4_wfwqMIt1718805990941/PHILIPS-FIDELIO-L4.jpg)
Philips Fidelio L4
Philips adds another good pair of headphones to its Fidelio line
![Sony HT-AX7](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1227/1737145/OSeRWoORf1718805790318/SONY-HTAX7.jpg)
Sony HT-AX7
Bird? Plane? No! It's Sony's... portable theatre/360-degree music thingy
![Final ZE8000 MK2](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1227/1737145/CtdEi8cPo1718805613671/FINAL-ZE8000-MK2.jpg)
Final ZE8000 MK2
Your Final destination for great sound - or a sonic dead end?
![BenQ X3100i](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1227/1737145/c2mCV25SI1718805189896/BENQ-X3100I.jpg)
BenQ X3100i
BenQ's latest gaming projector is surprisingly good with movies too
![MINI MARVELS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1227/1737145/nxKWz267j1718804222700/MINI-MARVELS.jpg)
MINI MARVELS
While positively tiny in today's TV world, these compact, 24in sets could be just what you need
![RAISING THE BAR](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1227/1737145/Y59L0vbB-1718802685880/RAISING-THE-BAR.jpg)
RAISING THE BAR
Elevate your home cinema sound with this trio of convenient soundbar packages
![INDOOR PLANTS IN FULL BOOM](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1227/1737145/lahZDoAJH1718801346861/INDOOR-PLANTS-IN-FULL-BOOM.jpg)
INDOOR PLANTS IN FULL BOOM
These premium wireless speakers are designed for use in the home - where they will raise the roof
![TAKE TO THE FLOOR](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/1227/1737145/s41UnEEVO1718799779067/TAKE-TO-THE-FLOOR.jpg)
TAKE TO THE FLOOR
From pumping dance music to grand orchestral heft, these pillars of strength will deliver in spades