A phenomenal new CD transport-Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 transport


I have had in-house for the last week Pro-Ject's new CD Box RS2 transport to review for the website Stereo Times. I was very curious to assess its performance because it uses the Pro 8 drive with the Blue Tiger CD-84 servo card. This drive was developed and built by StreamUnlimited a company started by the original Phillips designers that historically built the finest CD mechanisms. Only two other companies use the StreamUnlimited 8 drive and Blue Tiger CD-84 servo card, their pieces cost $16,000 and $39,000 compared to Pro-Ject's sane price of $3,000!

My reference for the last two years has been the excellent Jay's Audio MK-II transport that had out-performed much more expensive highly regarded transports in my system. Well, across every sonic parameter  (transparency/micro-details-overall dynamics/bottom-end extension/purity of tonality- a much more airy sound-stage with wonderful 3D imaging) compared to the Jay's Audio transport.

That's way I titled this thread a "phenomenal new CD transport" because while not inexpensive, it just might be a bargain based on its performance. Mind you, this superlative level of performance is based on using the switching power supply that Pro-Ject ships the transport with. I have shortly coming a custom 20 watt 3 amp linear power supply from Linear Tube Audio and Pro-Ject's own upgraded power supply to see if the RS2 transport performance will even go to a higher qualitative level of performance.

I'll be writing a full detailed review for Stereo Times in the near future. However, I wanted to share this information to GON members who still spin CDs. I have had numerous CD transports in for evaluation and this just might be the best sounding of all of them.

Teajay (Terry London)




amorstereo
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Why is there always a degenerate loud mouth on every thread? You can't just come in a thread and try to learn something in peace.
It appears that Phillips/Stream Unlimited is looking to give Teac some competition. Utilizing some of the same attributes that made Teac's mechanism one if not the best ever produced. - Milled solid aluminum, extra rigid clamping device and carbon fiber chassis with vibration damping system. 

I believe that the Teac/Esoteric Neo VRDS Mechanism is regarded as the premier Drive Unit. The VRDS Mechanism was first used in earlier Teac CDP models and then produced for companies like Wadia.

After the success of  companies like Wadia CDP models, and diminishing sales of Teac CDPs, Teac produced CDPs and transports exclusively built around a enhanced VRDS mechanism under the Esoteric name. They ceased to produce VRDS mechanisms for any other company. Until...

Wadia was supposed to have negotiated a deal to feature the VRDS NEO in their 981 model, before their demise, which only made it to the  prototype stage. Only 6 units were produced, however its rumored that only 1 actually has the VRDS in it. The other 5 have the Stream Unlimited mechanism which was standard in the s7i Models. 

dcs uses the Teac VRDS Neo VMK3 Mechanism in Vivaldi One models.
They use the same/similar Stream Unlimited mechanism ( as Wadia used) in their Rossini Model.