- Nagra announces a new ‘Compact Player’
- No CDs here though — it is a distinguished streamer and DAC combo
- At £6k (around $8k / AU$11.3k) it’s still cheaper than the brand’s alternatives
Nagra’s at it again: the high-end Swiss audio brand has just unveiled a brand-new piece of Hi-Fi hardware to blow a hole in your bank account… but only a medium-sized hole this time.
Money no object
We love to give practical buying advice about the latest tech products here on TechRadar. But sometimes what we love even more is to indulge in the most outrageously high-end, cutting-edge, luxurious propositions on the planet. That’s what we bring you in these Money no object columns – you can read the whole series here.
This is the Nagra Compact Player, unveiled as a music streamer and DAC using the brand’s bespoke technology and design. I’m talking power regulation, a clock generator and a simple, small bar design: everything you need (and nothing that you don’t), to get natural sound.
The brand is presenting this new release as an alternative to the Nagra Streamer, but with a DAC thrown in for space-conscious buyers.
The device plays from Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz’s Connect services, as well as AirPlay 2 and vTuner, and local storage playback too thanks to a USB port, and it has support for various music management apps like mConnect and Roon. By the sounds of the press release, though, you can only control it from a smartphone.
A solid price to pay for audio greatness
The Nagra Compact Streamer isn’t for the light of funds, hence the ‘Money No Object’ part of the headline. In the UK, it’s set to sell for £5,998, which converts to around $8,000 or AU$12,000. It’s fair to say it’s not a budget pick.
However, as part of Nagra’s Compact family, it’s not a super premium model either. These devices are designed to be smaller and more affordable than other offerings from the company.
The Nagra Classic Amp, for example, goes for over twice that price, and you’ll have to add a ‘0’ to the end of the Compact Streamer’s price if you want to pick up multiple devices from the brand.
So while the Compact Streamer may seem like a premium pick, it’s actually a reasonably affordable pick for audiophiles on a medium budget, who want an all-in-one device.
The best headphone DACs for all budgets
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tom.bedford@hotmail.co.uk (Tom Bedford)
