Player or Transport, Your Call: Exposure XMCD

The Exposure XMCD is an award-winning, half-chassis CD component with a split personality — in the best way. Use it as a complete CD player through its internal 24-bit DAC and analogue outputs, or as a pure high-resolution transport via its BNC or optical digital outputs. Made in England, it's the compact silver-disc specialist that Stereo Magazine called an "impressively musical player, also perfectly suited as a pure drive" — and which even out-livened Exposure's own larger 3010 S2 player.

Engineered to Read Every Bit

A top-loading mechanism with a machined magnetic clamp holds each disc dead flat to minimise read errors, and the onboard 24-bit DAC delivers a clean 100 dB signal-to-noise ratio with low 2.1 ns jitter. Reviewers praised its "bouncing elasticity" and "three-dimensional relief" — an appealingly lively, powerful sound with real bass authority. Prefer to use your own DAC or the one in your preamp? Take the digital output and the XMCD becomes a superb dedicated transport.

Compact, Flexible, Beautifully Made

Both RCA analogue and BNC/optical digital outputs are on board, all in a solid half-width aluminium case in black or titanium. It slots neatly beside the rest of the Exposure XM series for a complete compact system with nothing left wanting.

Why You'll Love the Exposure XMCD

• Player and transport in one — internal 24-bit DAC or pure digital output, your choice
• Top-loading with magnetic clamp — holds discs flat to reduce read errors
• Award-winning musicality — "impressively musical," with lively, three-dimensional sound
• Low jitter, high resolution — 24-bit DAC, 100 dB S/N, 2.1 ns jitter
• Flexible outputs — RCA analogue plus BNC and optical digital
• Hand-built in England — black or titanium finish

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the XMCD be used as a CD transport only?

Yes. Alongside its internal 24-bit DAC and analogue outputs, it offers BNC and optical digital outputs, so you can bypass the internal DAC and feed an external DAC or the DAC in your preamp/integrated.

Why is it top-loading?

The top-loading mechanism uses a machined magnetic puck to clamp the CD perfectly flat, which reduces read errors for cleaner data retrieval and better sound.

Does the XMCD match the other XM components?

Yes — it shares the compact half-width XM form factor and black or titanium finishes, pairing naturally with the XM7 preamplifier and XM9 power amplifiers.

Exposure XMCD Technical Specifications