i'ld like to know your experience: please indicate two CDT: your prefer and wich one you have comparated with (also integrated cd player but only use as transport)
I bought Nuprime CDT and I couldn't listen to it even once, it didn't work and I returned it. Then I went for my first option that I had not chosen because the price was higher than the Nuprime, and this was the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T, which I bought with its linear separate power supply, and even its special power cable. between transport and source. It has been one of my best investments to date, transparent liquid sound, precise and musical. A good power cable makes differences and the same a good bases in both devices
The two players I currently use as CD Transports are REALLY not bad as CD Players either...
(1) Sony BDP-S2000ES
A true ES unit, no SACD, coax opt. digital outputs Great transport AND standalone CD player, Slow loading gen 1.5 Blu Ray player, but worth the wait.
(2) Harman Kardon CD-990
Coax/opt outs, also RCA / XLR analog outputs w twin internal AKM dacs. Suggest sound deadening of (under) top cover with Dyna-mat or Kilmat. Refined rendition of the classic HK sound signature (as a transport) after mod. Also capable of being used as a DAC (has digital inputs).
I won’t say these are giant killers, but they ARE a bit surprising as CD transports.
They have replaced an OPPO UDP-203 AND a Sony UBP-X1000ES used as transports in my rack; into a Schiit Gungnir Multibit A2 DAC.
I think equipment should be rated according to price ranges. For those that cannot/will not spend top money on something, it could be most helpful to rate items according to price ranges — bang for bucks — rather than simply “best I ever heard”.
These questions get so boring and routine. But okay, from what I have actually heard and spent any time with, Esoteric P1X. Also heard it with the Rubidium Clock and that made improvements but is not made anymore. But Esoteric has an all new in house designed/ built PIX Clock that I have not heard, but will assume is an improvement. I don’t know exact prices but at these price levels improvements don’t come cheap and you have to decide value here. Personally, if I had the disposable cash I probably would buy it. Keep in mind also the technology in the P!X Clock was filtering down into all there SACD players b-4 the P!X was available. I think. Not to mention I can't wait to hear the new turntable. I have listened to the Limited edition Naim and for the price; table, tonearm, cartridge, preamp, and dual power supply is I guess a sort of bargain in this sector of the market.
This is a very good thread. Lots of very good information on CD transports, without any of the usual snarky (a $16 eBay DVD player is just as good) comments from certain forum participants.
If someone is interested on a CD transport (digital output only), but, with additional added functionality, I would recommend the T+A MP 200. It is a streamer (and Roon Ready certified endpoint), and a radio (FM, HD, and more).
Yes. Actually sounds better sometimes with the Denafrips DAC. I know there are a great many streamers out there that will out perform the Node. No doubt. But they also have much bigger price tags. I wanted to see how much better the Node could sound by swapping a better power supply and adding a very good DAC. I was very surprised. The Node does not get the respect it deserves IMO.
I have the CDT2 MK2 paired with the Pontas II 12th Anniversary DAC. So far it's the best digital playback I have had. On par with Bluesound Node output to the Pontus II
The Bluesound Node is on equal footing with your Jay’s Audio CD transport?
Nutty, I have the CDT2 MK2 paired with the Pontas II 12th Anniversary DAC. So far it's the best digital playback I have had. On par with Bluesound Node output to the Pontus II. The Sony Walkman is my backup...
I just ordered the Jay's Audio CDT2-MK3 Transport to play Reebook CD's to mate with my Pontas II 12th DAC. I still have my Oppo BDP105D for universal media playback and to play external hard drive files.
I've had a Cambridge Audio and Audiolab. Both were capable. I noticed a quantitative difference with a used PS Audio Perfect Wave Transport. I wouldn't consider any player without an I2S (HDMI) input. Best wishes.
One of my friends has this along with the Jay’s Audio DAC and it sounds amazing.
For comparison I’ve owned a Rega Apollo, a Marantz Ki Pearl, Oppo 105D, to name a few, and currently have the CD transport in the Rockna Wavedream Net, which reads CDs into memory and sends them to my Rockna Wavedream Signature DAC.
I stream a lot more than I listen to CDs. If my preference was CDs I would get the Jay’s Audio player and DAC.
Jay's Audio CDT3 Mk3, i.e their latest offering. I run it always with the 174 Hz toggle to "on" with which the Holo May syncs just fine. The 174 HZ is at another level of articulation and smoothness for Redbook CD's. The synergy between the Jay's and my Holo Audio May Kitsune Level 3 is beautiful. The CDT3 MK3 is a real tank, and the Philips Laser Mechanism (CDPRO2 LF) is very well built and damped.
This transport takes at least a hundred hours to break in - worth the wait.
The Takumis, in particular, may be overkill, but I really do appreciate the results
No doubt that your results justify these power cables. The caliber of your components warrant their usage. The better the AC power quality, the better the sound. Good move by you.
@charles1dad Thanks for the kind words. Yes, I'm feeding the LTA and the Boulder with Takumi PCs, and using a Hijiri HDG Million AES/EDU between the Pro-Ject and the Boulder. The Takumis, in particular, may be overkill, but I really do appreciate the results.
I've owned the Cambridge Audio CXC and the Audiolab CDT 6000. I like the Audiolab a bit better than the Cambridge Audio. But, it's not a huge difference.
Prior to these I usded a LG Bluray player and Onkyo 7030 both as transports and certainly the CXC and the CDT 6000 are MILES better than those two CDPs used as transports.
I have a Chord Qutest DAC and the CDT 6000 and the Qutest is really very satisfying.
I do plan on upgrading my DAC (5+ yrs with the Qutest) and going even higher with the CD Transport. Many choices, I'm not sure which way I'll go, yet.
Are you using the Hijiri Takumi power cable for the LTA/RS2T as well as your Boulder 866 amplifier? Looks like you have an exceptionally clean and simplified audio signal pathway. Definitely uncluttered.😊
The builder (Benjamin Zwickel) of your Mojo Audio DAC also designed/built an audio streaming unit. Interestingly however he’s a very strong advocate of high quality CD transports for the digital source. You probably already know this about him. 😊
Magnuman agree esoteric can be organic it depends how you utilize and match them? Cables in one way to do that, and what Dac you use.Tube DAc like audio mirror will be a good choice, My only problem with esoteric is their repair service here in the US.
Another vote for the Pro-Ject RS2 CD Transport. I run it to the DAC module in a Boulder 866. In A/B comparison, it bested by far my Oppo 105, as it should given the price point, which I had been running digital out to the DAC in the 866. The Pro-Ject retrieves significantly more detail than the Oppo in terms of timbre, especially audible to me in the case of vocals, with singers sounding more like themselves. So it manages the neat trick of presenting more detail, yet sounding less clinical.
Memory is a tricky thing, and I didn't do a direct A/B comparison, but I believe the Pro-Ject to be a significant step up from other CDPs I have owned previously, including a Meridian 508 and a Granite 657 (with tube output).
Charles 1DAD, Is spot on with the RS2T transport. I have 2 systems, the smaller and less expensive one uses a Audiolab 6000CDT and sounds great with an Benchmark 3B DAC. The more expensive one uses The RS2T with a Meitner Ma1 V2 Dac and sounds superb. It is of course much more money.
All the transports mentioned, as Charles stated are very good and no one would be disappointed to own any one of them. But, for the money You'll be hard pressed to come close to the RS2T in sound. I have also added A LTA audio LPS. All I listen to is R&R at about 90db , and always leave smiling. Of course, a couple of glasses of Buffalo Trace never hurts. Robert TN
This is a question that actually deserves more consideration in this era of streamers. In short, I have always found physical media (cds / sacds) played directly on a physical drive superior. But, unfortunately, the era of the CD transport is pretty much dead.
With that said, I have used 20+ transports in my system over the years, and a baseline question is always "what DAC"? Many Dac / transport systems are designed specifically to be used together. For example, I would never use an EMM transport with a non-EMM Dac.
If I had to pick a best "non-DAC specific" transport, it would be some variation of the CEC TL-0 - it was so far ahead of its time when it first came out in 1992 or so its not funny. The next best in my experience- and highly underrated - was the Altis Centauri. I would easily pay 50% more than what I sold it for to buy one back again. For transports I have not heard in my system but experienced at shows, the Metronome Kallista ranks tops.
But if you want to get into transports designed with specific DACs in mind, the best I have heard are the Stahl Tek, the MSB Signature, and the CH Precision.
Premier audio manufacturers use Esoteric VRDS Transports as a benchmark measure of the technology
I would agree with regard to those desiring “tray drawer “ operation. As noted above, some of the very best sounding CD transport/CD players held in the highest regard choose to utilize upper tier Phillips top loading drive units.
I also have the 6000CDT and for my ears, it sounds good. Maybe some day I’ll move up the ladder on both my transport and streamer, but for now, I’m still happy.
@magnuman - what other transports have you compared it to? It is a very nice sounding transport no doubt. The other transports we tried were more to our preference and that is what this is all about. We build our own components/DAC included and have more digital cables laying around as we are in the industry so we have plenty to work with. As I always say, as long as you enjoy your system that is all that really matters. We offer our advice based on years of experience, hearing too many systems, making and modifying products, to ever list and just being in the industry hearing many components in many different systems.
I think you're wrong about the esoteric transport I have one and it sounds very natural and organic just depends what cable you use and what DAC you use with it, I use the Wyred4sound 10th anniversary DAC and according to one of the reviewers that put it up against his VPI turntable with the $5,000 Japanese cartridge he said it was every bit as analog sounding and I've gotten the same results, The esoteric transport beats everything on the market unfortunately they're so expensive now I have the esoteric P10 and it was only $2,500 back in the '90s their transports are crazy expensive now, they were so far ahead of everybody back then it wasn't even funny they were using OCC single crystal for the internal wire that's how smart they were, don't know about now because I haven't listened to this super expensive stuff.
Agree with your observation on the Jay's CDT2 MKIII, and synergy. It sounded fantastic with my Denafrips Pontus II and a Musician Aquarius I had borrowed.....both being R2R ladder DACs.
To my ears it was too forward when connected with a Chord Qutest I had on hand, but then again I do not like Chord products (too fatiguing to me) in general......so there's that.
+1on the Audiolab CDT 6000. I am 90/10 vinyl to compact disc as far as listening habits but I can tell you the AudioLab takes the sting out of having to listen to CD when I don't have a vinyl copy. Very organic and an incredible value. Some people are down on the front loading feature but I have never had a problem with it and it has never damaged one of my discs.
While the Esoteric is a very well made component and it also sound really good the top ones on my list better it in sound quality. The Esoteric has less of an organic sound if that is what you are looking for.
Agreed. Mirrors my listening encounters with Esoteric digital audio. Built like the proverbial tank people like to reference. In my opinion the sonic signature is analytical hifi more so than natural. However, as noted it simply depends on what a specific listener is pursuing.
I bought the Audiolab 6000 transport.....Returned it.....Did not like it at all.....Then bought the CEC belt drive TL5 base model....WOW this is a fantastic sounding unit...No Jitter.....Belt drive instead of direct drive makes all the difference....It’s like a turntable for cd’s. With my Audio Mirror Toubadour IV......it’s live music.
While the Esoteric is a very well made component and it also sound really good the top ones on my list better it in sound quality. The Esoteric has less of an organic sound if that is what you are looking for. The Audiomeca was one of the best sounding transports and I still own it. It makes music sound very special, you can really close your eyes and dream. The Pro-Ject just betters it. The jays MKII was also a very good transport. It is more forward sounding than the Pro-Ject and the Audiomeca so it sounds a little faster. It comes down to synergy with your DAC and the type of sound you prefer. I have not heard the MKIII. If you are on a budget get a Rega and replace the laser. For some reason just changing the laser makes a difference even if it is a new player. We actually compared that. The Nano if it is still around I had purchased for under $500 back in the day is a small little box but it produced a fantastic sound. Still have one somewhere. I just could not get past the tiny size of it. Shame on me!
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