Vitus SCD-025 CD Player and DAC

The SCD-025 is Vitus Audio's Signature Series CD player and DAC — a single-chassis digital source that sets a new standard for what a disc spinner can achieve in a world increasingly dominated by streaming. Built around the Philips CDPro2LF transport, heavily modified by Vitus Audio's own engineering team, and paired with the Anagram Q5 sample rate converter and ADI1955 DAC, the SCD-025 retrieves levels of resolution, intimacy, and musical fluidity from a compact disc that rival the finest analogue sources.

The Mk.II revision represented a near-total redesign. The motherboard, power supply, sound board, clock module, sample rate converter, analogue output stage, dual receiver chips, and USB implementation were all replaced — leaving only the transport mechanism and chassis from the original. The result is not an incremental update; it is a fundamentally different machine that happens to share a chassis with its predecessor.

The Mk.II Redesign

The complete redesign of the power supply and clock module alone would justify the description of a new product; together with the revised analogue output stage and dual receiver chips, the SCD-025 Mk.II delivers a transparency and low-level resolution that the original, for all its qualities, could not match. The USB implementation has been rebuilt from the ground up, allowing the SCD-025 to function as a high-performance DAC for computer audio sources at resolutions up to 384kHz/24-bit — a capability that ensures the SCD-025 remains relevant as digital source formats continue to evolve.

Transport and DAC

The Philips CDPro2LF is one of the finest CD transport mechanisms ever produced — a professional-grade unit whose combination of mechanical precision and vibration rejection is unmatched by any drive mechanism currently in production. Vitus Audio's extensive modifications to the CDPro2LF go well beyond standard implementation, addressing the clock circuit, power supply, and mechanical interface in ways that extract the maximum from the format.

The Anagram Q5 sample rate converter and ADI1955 DAC combination has been chosen for its ability to retrieve fine musical detail without the analytical quality that afflicts lesser digital implementations. The SCD-025 does not merely decode data — it presents music with a warmth, timing, and three-dimensionality that consistently surprises listeners encountering it for the first time.

Connectivity

The SCD-025 provides balanced XLR and single-ended RCA outputs alongside balanced XLR and single-ended RCA inputs for use as a standalone DAC. A standard Philips aluminium remote control is included.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The SCD-025 is for the listener who still believes — rightly — that the compact disc is an extraordinary format, and who wants to hear what it is truly capable of in the hands of engineers who share that conviction. It partners naturally with Vitus Audio amplification: the Vitus SIA-030 as an integrated solution, or the Vitus RI-101 MK2 for those seeking a more compact Vitus system. For those also weighing a dedicated DAC and streaming solution, the Vitus RD-101 makes an illuminating comparison — as does the Vitus SD 025 MK2 for those considering the latest generation of Vitus digital sources.

Buying from Martins Hi-Fi

Martins Hi-Fi has been in Norwich since 1968. Elizabeth Gould runs the business today, and we stock only brands we have heard properly and stand behind. The SCD-025 is available to audition at our Norwich showroom — speak to Dave or Chris, who can demonstrate it as both a CD player and a DAC, and guide you through system matching with the wider Vitus range. A source component at this level deserves a proper audition, and we will ensure you get one.

Contact us at [email protected], call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. You can read more about how we work on our Why Martins Hi-Fi page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.