JUDGE IT YOURSELF. PERFECT MATCH FOR EPOS LOUDSPEAKERS & TO OTHERS ASWELL!
EVO Integrated AMP:
To achieve 85 Watts power into an 8 Ohms load and >160 Watts into 4 Ohms, the mains transformer has to be big. The Evo uses an over-rated 250VA toroidal transformer, which will provide enough current to drive the amplifier to almost double its output into 4 Ohms. To improve the sound quality, no expense has been spared.
Separate windings are used for each of the high current high voltage and low voltage, analogue and digital circuits. Two sets of rectifiers and a total of 20,000 micro-Farads of multiple smoothing capacitors are used to separate the left and right circuitry and improve the dynamic performance. This is a technique used by Creek before for its up-market products and is now available in the entry-level Evo. In terms of value for money, this cannot be over-stated.
Generally, few Hi-Fi companies put so much effort into their product's power supplies at this price point, but Creek knows that this is an area where the rewards are high for such investment. To allow it to be easily used in different countries, the Evo also uses an external voltage selector.
Significantly, the Evo is the first product made by Creek to use an electronic volume control. It uses a Burr-Brown PGA2311, stepped resistor attenuator operated by a microcontroller. This allows the user to adjust the volume accurately, in 1 dB steps, from 0 to -80dB. An analogue style rotary encoder, with 40mm solid control knob, is used to alter the volume from the front panel and display the reverse level in dB on a large blue coloured VFD display i.e. 80 is loudest and 0 is off. To buffer the signals in and out of the pre-amp, high grade Burr-Brown OPA2134 op-amps are used. Signal switching is performed by relays, which are driven by signal from a powerful microcontroller, similar to the Destiny amp.
The Evo is configured as a high open-loop gain circuit, using a double differential input and driver stage plus discrete Darlington power output stage, using high current bi-polar transistors. This is similar to the circuitry Creek used prior to its more complicated MOS-FET designs. High grade polypropylene capacitors, bypassed with large value electrolytics, are used to couple and decouple the signal into the power amp as the Evo doesn't use a DC servo correction, like the Classic and Destiny amps.
To keep the amplifier safe, it is monitored by discrete transistor circuitry to protect against over current demand, short circuits and DC offsets. Relays mute the input and separate the loudspeaker output in the case of faults.
The Evo operates conventionally with rotary controls for input selection and volume control and buttons for Tape selection and power On/off. It has four inputs plus tape - selection is via the remote handset or the input selection control. A visual indication of its status is displayed on a large blue Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD). The display brightness can be altered from the Evo remote control handset.
Gold plated input and output sockets have been chosen to provide a good connection and appearance for a product at its price point. Loudspeakers are connected with 1 set of 4mm terminal binding posts, with plastic touch proof covers. The amplifier also has a headphone socket which is becoming an increasingly rare feature of modern day amplifiers.
Mains connection is via a standard, fused, IEC chassis plug. A high quality power cord, with suitable mains plug for the country of use is supplied.
EVO CD PLAYER
The Evo CD player uses a Philips VAM1201 laser assembly and low profile loader.
This transport is different to the short-loader previously used by Creek in its CD43mk2, CD50 and CD53. However, the laser and chipset are the same. The short-loader transport became obsolete; hence the switch to alternatives, such as the ATAPI drive used in the more expensive Classic and Destiny CD players.
Servo control and decoder functions are performed by a Philips chip set. Custom software controls these functions and also interfaces with user functions such as display, function buttons and remote control.
The Evo uses a single high current C core mains transformer fed from the mains via a custom designed common mode filter. To allow it to be easily used in different countries, this CD player uses an external voltage selector.
To stabilise and isolate the voltages to the various analogue and digital circuits the Evo uses no less than eight voltage regulators. Digital and analogue supplies are kept separate and the master clock uses its own supply.
One of the most important parts of a good sounding CD player is the master clock. The Evo has been designed to use a low jitter oscillator module that clocks the data from the drive to the D to A converter and also clocks the microcontroller with the same frequency. This is done to avoid the internal interference that would cause sonic performance reductions if run at a different and asynchronous frequency.
The data from the decoder is re-clocked to provide a low jitter signal to a Burr-Brown PCM 1738, DAC IC, which is capable of 24 bit/192kHz operation. However, Creek Audio does not up-sample the data as we do not believe there is performance advantage unless done correctly. The Evo CD is an entry level product and therefore its price cannot support the level of circuitry required to perform up-sampling correctly.
Following the D to A conversion, the Evo uses four high grade Burr-Brown OPA604 op-amps to sum the balanced output from the DAC and to convert the output current into a voltage.
Analogue filtering is required to the signal to eliminate digital artefacts. This needs to be buffered from the output sockets, so that external equipment does not change the filter shape and response. As it also exits the D to A converter in the reverse phase, the Evo uses two dual OPA2134 op-amps to both buffer the signal and reverse the phase prior to the output sockets. A relay is used at the output to mute the signal to ground when required.
The Evo operates conventionally with buttons for Play and Pause, Stop, Open and Close, Track forward and backward and power On/off.
A visual indication of its status is displayed on a large blue Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD). The display brightness can be altered from the Evo remote control handset.
Gold plated, solid metal, analogue and co-axial digital output sockets have been chosen to provide a good connection and appearance for a product at its price point. Optical digital output is also available via a standard TOSLINK connector.
Mains connection is via a standard, fused, IEC chassis plug. A high quality power cord, with suitable mains plug for the country of use is supplied.
The Evo has a dedicated remote control handset, which currently operates both the integrated amplifier and CD player. Evo uses different codes to other Creek products. Therefore it cannot be used with Classic or Destiny, nor can the alternate Creek remote handsets, ARC 53, SRC 1 or SRC 2 be used with Evo. However it has all the features you would expect, including an ability to dim the brightness of the display.
The controls are intuitive and the remote is packaged with every product
www.creekaudio.comSRP P40,000/UNIT
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