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Considering buying a CD transport

My current disc spinner is a Cambridge Audio 751BD which I'm now mostly (except for SACDs) using as a transport, as I vastly prefer the sound of my Bryston BDA1 DAC to what comes through the CA. Even through the Bryston DAC, CDs can sound shrill. The CA works extremely well for DVDs, Blu-ray discs and SACDs, but I don't think I'm enjoying my rather extensive CD collection as I should. Would a separate transport make enough difference to be worth considering? I've been reading reviews of the Cyrus CDt which are tempting, but I'd like to hear some real-world opinions first. Unfortunately, there are budgetary constraints, so I would like not to exceed about $2K.

The rest of the system: Hegel H200 integrated, Proac Response D2s, REL S2 sub, Clarus Aqua analog interconnects & speaker cables, Nordost coax.
cooper52
zavato's avatar
zavato
1,397 posts
 
Sim Audio Neo 260D is an excellent transport and fits in your price range. Cables between the transport and DAC make a difference. Many advocate with an extremely short digital IC or if that's not doable, then at least 1.5 m. Also note that ther Bryston DAC isn't the last word on dacs 
auxinput
2,920 posts
 

I have tried the Oppo BDP-83 (predecessor to the Cambridge/93) and it is a rather bright/harsh sounding transport. Even a really cheap Sony BDP bluray player has a vastly superior coax output (much smoother with more bass and body - less bright harshness). I’ve had bad experiences with earlier Pioneer bluray transports as well. You could try upgrading to a Oppo 103 (as these are much better as transports and it will send 24/192 over the coax! - also has much more music formats / streaming). At $500 and with the Oppo 30-day return policy, it’s almost a no risk / no brainer.

Bryston stuff can have a tendency to sound bright/shouty - try a fuse upgrade to something like a Isoclean or Synergistic RED. (The REDs have less resolution if you need to back off on the high frequencies) Make sure your digital coax is at least 1.5M (I use 6 feet). Shorter digital cables will cause reflections and the sound can be brighter - makes a mess of the sound.

Also, CD music may sound harsh/shrill due to the limited 16-bit resolution. A nice tube preamp (like mesch) or a Class A preamp can help tame and smooth over some of this very limited 16-bit resolution.

jpnalpha
2 posts
 

you can try getting second hand great cd players with good power supply and outputs such as audio research CD 3 or meridian 506 , 508 etc...

fantastic transports cheap and durable.

grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,464 posts
 
Charles1dad is right. If you want the very best sound quality, then the PS Audio PWT is it. It sounds wonderful even topping a couple of highly touted CEC players. 
dpetri's avatar
dpetri
36 posts
 
I am currently using a Cambridge CXC cd transport with an Auralic Vega DAC and for $500,  the CXC/Vega sounds much better than I expected.  I replaced an old Krell KV 300cd that could no longer be repaired.  I was going to buy an AYRE CD player but could not justify the cost.  Besides, who knows how long it will be supported by the manufacturer.

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