best CD transport available?


Opinions regarding the best CD transport available today please?
mejames
Best how? Best bang for your buck is a $89 Aiwa XC-37M CD Changer. Don't take my word for it. Check out the Chicago Audio Society website at http://www.chicagoaudio.org/
It is one of their reference transports.
Cost no object, CD-only transport = Goldmund 36+
I prefer it over their new Eidos 38 in terms of low-end weight and musicality in the context of my system, and it's visually stunning. As always, just my opinion.
Spectral Reference Transport SDR 3000. Better that any I have had in my system including Levinson 31.5.
Unless you're looking for a "cost no object" choice, let me recommend Audio Alchemy DDS Pro, which I've just started using in place of a Sonic Frontiers SFT-1, Stereophile Class A in its time. The DDS Pro has a separate power supply, which led to even greater quiet in a system that, with a Power Wedge Ultra 114, was already pretty quiet. It's my current candidate for audio bargain of all time.
You might get one cheap enough to also go for a good interface: Genesis Digital Lens, Meridian 518, Assemblage D2D-1, something like that. I'm currently using a 518, and could still hear a clear difference between the DDS Pro and the SFT-1. It's nonsense to say that the transport, or for that matter the cable coming from it, no longer matter if an interface is used. Though maybe a matter a shade less.
Might as well add the big Burmester and Accustic Arts transports. I personally haven't heard them but heard good things about them. The AA transport is at a 'best buy' price and the Burmie is.... not :-). Here is a description and picture:

http://www.aaudio.com/accousticarts_drive1.html

Mike
Jcbtubes has correctly answered the question, a very close second would be the Jadis JD1 trans. Hey Mejames could you possibly start another thread, with the same question on DAC's. . oh, i see Audiofed has mentioned the big Burmester, now that's a consideration as well, 3rd place.
Audiofederation- I tried the Drive-1 in my system. It was very good, and it was a slight improvement when serving as transport into the digital 'in' of my AA Capitole MK 1 (slightly better than the Capitole's own transport). HOWEVER, I now own a transport that I got for $900 and was made in 1988, and it bested the Drive-1 doing the same test- the Teac Esoteric P-1- better detail retrieval.

Basically, I think some of this comes down to what transport mechanism 'methodology' is preferred, and it may be system dependent. i.e.- you've got the Phillips Pro; CEC uses the belt-drive system; Audiomeca designed his own proprietary one; and my Teac uses the heavy-duty VRDS clamping system- my personal preference for ultimate detail retrieval- ALTHOUGH, I suspect and have heard the CEC TL-0Mk II is also excellent in this regard (mucho denaro though).

Anyways, cost no object, I would opt for the Japan-only Esoteric P0s. There is an Agon member who picked one up in Japan (ultra-rare) for about $8k USD, and he e-mailed me the pics- talk about tank-like build quality!!
dCS Verdi is the very best transport,a close second is Levinson,the No. 37 is very good for the money,the 31.5 is stunning.
I have a pic of the Teac Po transport. This pic is not bad. I have a much better pic, where the back part is covered. Here's how it looks. http://www.exoticaudio.org/PAGE29.html When your on the site, just scroll down to the middle of the page.
verdi iyi de kendi converter i ile match edilince tam performance söz konusu,kimse farklı bir sistemde onu tek başına denemedi.levinson lara gelince ,onlar çok geride kaldilar.31.5 herhalde ilk 10a zor girer
adsal has something worth hearing, can someone please translate? Which language? Looks like Dutch or Swedish???
Hey Martian, since you seem to know that it's Turkish, want to take a stab at the translantion?? Good to see Audiogon is an international forum, we welcome all gentle folk.

In fact I've no idea of Turkish, just remember some typical words and letters.

...çok kimse farklı bir tek başına...

...if you know what I mean;-) (Myself I'm German speaking Swiss.)
Well anyway, learning Turk is not anytime soon, but I think he votes big on Verdi and the Levinson. Funny you rarely see anything Jadis mentioned on the disscussion forums..?..??....
Mejames, I'm asking the same question, IF I don't buy the Capitole or Mephisto, the separates route will possibly be a CEC TL-1X transport teamed up with either an Audio Logic 2400 or Kora Hermes dac. There are some EAD-7000's and Theta Data's that I've been told are very good too, but I think the belt-drive TL 1-X (possibly modded-out) would sound awesome.
It seems to me that there is a complete lack of concensus as to which transport (or DAC) sounds best versus the more easily (at this time) ranked single box CD players. Perhaps this is one reason for the uptick in sales of single box players vrs separates.

Anyway, this thread was fun - getting to google Goldmund 36s, old Teacs and CEC TL0s. Personally, I am looking foward to more of these CD/SACD/DVD players becoming available. If they also accept analog in (i.e. serve as a basic preamp), then people can get rid of 3 then-redundant components (DVD player, Preamp, and HT processor) and get much better audio with their video setup in the bargin.

-Mike.