Nagra Compact Player: Swiss Audio Precision Meets Modern High-End Streaming

Experience authentic Nagra sound with the Compact Player, blending Swiss engineering and advanced digital streaming for music lovers everywhere.

The Promise of Nagra in a Compact Package

There’s a special kind of magic that surrounds the Nagra Compact Player name in the audiophile world. It’s not just about technical specs; it’s about legacy, emotion, and the pursuit of musical truth. For decades, Nagra has stood as a beacon of Swiss precision and natural, lifelike sound that music fans cherish. Now, with the introduction of the Nagra Compact Player, Audio Technology Switzerland SA ushers in a new era, making this revered sonic experience accessible to more homes than ever before.

Compact in appearance but mighty in performance, the Compact Player was designed with one clear goal: to deliver authentic high-end musical reproduction without diluting the essence of what makes Nagra, well, Nagra.

Music, Made Personal Again

If you’ve ever yearned for a digital source that doesn’t sacrifice soul, the Nagra Compact Player might just be the answer. This unit is a complete high-end digital source, marrying advanced streaming technology with a meticulously crafted D/A conversion stage. That stage is no afterthought—it’s built according to Nagra’s time-honored design principles.

At the heart of the Compact Player lies a high-performance DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), followed by a dual-mono analog output stage. Each channel enjoys dedicated circuitry to boost channel separation and cut down crosstalk, delivering pristine clarity. The team didn’t stop there—extra care was given to the clock architecture, power supply regulation, and PCB layout. Why? To keep jitter low, noise at bay, and signal integrity intact during conversion.

Supporting PCM audio up to an impressive 384 kHz / 32-bit and DSD 256, the Compact Player handles both streamed tunes from major platforms and local files via UPnP/DLNA or USB storage. Audiophiles will appreciate its measured noise floor of –140 dB (A-weighted) and an output impedance of just 14 Ohms, making it easy to integrate with preamps, integrated amps, or even direct connection to power amps and active loudspeakers.

But specs only tell part of the story. What really defines the Nagra Compact Player is its musical coherence. It delivers a fluid, unforced musical presentation with stable imaging and precise spatial layering. The soundstage breathes, developing authentic dimensionality and air. The bass is deep yet controlled and articulate, not overpowering, and dynamics flow naturally, avoiding digital exaggeration.

The end result? A sound that feels remarkably live—continuous, harmonically full, and free from harsh digital glare. It proudly wears the Nagra badge, despite its smaller size.

Designed for Modern Living

High-end audio has evolved beyond isolated, dedicated spaces. Today’s systems must blend seamlessly into stylish homes, balancing aesthetics, discretion, and absolute performance. The Compact Player embodies this ethos wonderfully.

Its chassis, CNC-machined from a solid aluminum billet, offers the rigidity and vibration resistance critical for low-noise digital audio. Despite its robust build, the Compact Player remains compact, fitting effortlessly into contemporary rooms and tight setups. In true Nagra fashion, it's “as large as necessary and no larger”—a testament to disciplined engineering.

And it’s not just about looks and build quality. The Compact Player supports a slew of popular streaming services and platforms, including:

• Qobuz Connect
• TIDAL Connect
• Spotify Connect
• AirPlay 2 (Apple devices)
• Roon Ready & Roon Tested
• Plays with Audirvana
• vTuner (access to thousands of internet radio stations)

Local files? Easily accessed via UPnP/DLNA or USB. All of this controlled through a sleek, intuitive mobile interface that keeps things user-friendly without skimping on audiophile integrity.

A Gateway to the Nagra Universe

Nagra has long been a benchmark of mechanical precision, sonic integrity, and an unmistakable character that enthusiasts treasure. The Compact Player is no mere entry-level gadget or a diluted version of the brand's grandeur.

Designed, engineered, and hand-built in Switzerland, it carries the same dedication to sonic authenticity that has defined Nagra’s most prestigious components over the years.

Whether it takes center stage in a thoughtfully crafted hi-fi system, serves as the digital heart of a minimalist setup paired directly with power amplifiers or active loudspeakers, or acts as a refined digital source in a secondary system, the Compact Player invites a broader audience to experience authentic Nagra excellence in everyday life.

“The Compact Player delivers a presentation that is fluid and unforced, with stable imaging and precise spatial layering.” – Audio Technology Switzerland SA

FAQ

• What streaming services does the Nagra Compact Player support?
  It supports Qobuz Connect, TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, Roon Ready & Tested, Audirvana playback, and vTuner for internet radio.
• Can I play local files on the Compact Player?
  Yes, local files are accessible via UPnP/DLNA or USB storage devices.
• What formats does the Compact Player support?
  It supports PCM audio up to 384 kHz/32-bit and DSD up to DSD 256.
• Is the Compact Player compatible with active loudspeakers?
  Absolutely! With a low output impedance of 14 Ohms, it integrates smoothly with preamps, integrated amps, power amps, or even directly with active loudspeakers.
• Where is the Nagra Compact Player made?
  It is designed, engineered, and hand-built in Switzerland, preserving Nagra’s heritage of precision.

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