Dedicated CD Transport vs DAC

@facten  Hello and thank you for your post!

How does a manufacturer optimize one digital output over another?

Why wouldn’t they want all digital outputs to sound great?

I would think that by only optimizing one output you would be limiting your market base?

Best wishes,

Don

@oddiofyl Hello and thank you for your post!

It’s great to know that you are hearing a much better sound from your new Teac vs the Oppo as a transport… that there is no comparison!

That helps give me more faith in replacing my old Rotel 955ax with a dedicated cd transport.  

Im curious, are you using an external clock in addition to the Teac transport?

Thank you and best wishes,

Don

@mesch 

Hello!

Yes, I did purchase a new LTA Aero Dac. 
I’m currently using and old Rotel 955AX cd player as a transport via it’s rca digital out. 
Im now trying to ascertain if spending another $2500 to $5000 on a dedicated cd transport will garner a “significant” improvement in sound and be worth the cash outlay.  
 

Best wishes,

Don

@soix

Hi,

I’ve only had it for a week so I only have very initial impressions at the moment.
Also keep in mind that I have only used my vintage Rotel 955AX as a transport.

I bought the Acoustic Zen Absolute “copper foil” true 75 ohm digital cable terminated in RCA. You can buy it at the Cable Company for $552. My whole system is loomed with AZ Absolute cables and to my ears do a great job.

My early impressions of the LTA is very positive!

It uses tubes, but the sound isn’t what I think most people would consider “tubey”.
I feel that many people might stereotype a tubed product to sound warm, with limited dynamics, slow or sluggish, thick or sryupy with mushy bass, etc. 

This dac is dynamic! Both in the micro and macro sense of the word.

It’s fast! It’s not slow or sluggish or mushy… not in the least!

The tonal qualities are outstanding! I’ve been a musician for 50 years playing tenor and bass trombone in jazz venues and my Montagnana cello in classical venues. Although I can no longer play at a professional level due to my strokes, I hear live acoustic music several nights a week. I feel that I know and understand the tone of instruments. I can easily discern the difference between Bach and King brass instruments; or between Steinway and Yamaha grand pianos, etc.

Listening to brass instruments, the sound is pure! It’s dynamic, it’s got density and weight to the sound without being thick.

Listening to Art Blakey playing the drums… my God! He can hit those toms and you can feel it! You sense the skin on the snare and the shimmer of the brass symbols is amazing!

Piano has great transient attacks but you hear the sound board beautifulness in the grand piano! Hearing all the fine details of the creaking of the piano bench.

Don’t even get me started on the sound of the acoustic bass! The fullness and resonance of the wooden body, but again, not sounding thick or muddy. Hearing the plucking of the strings or the bow gliding across the strings.

I am impressed with this dac. What surprised me is how good it sounds being driven by my lowly vintage Rotel cd player. Hence my sincere questions about, does a dedicated cd transport really make a significant difference in the sound?

I remember listening to a YouTube video where the reviewer had an $11,000 Ayon and couldn’t hear a significant difference from using a $40 Best Buy cd player as a transport. He was embarrassed and ashamed of his preconceived notions that the Ayon would wipe the floor, but it didn’t.

In any case , I trust the comments of my fellow forum members over a random YouTube video.

Best wishes,

Don

@facten My apologies! I think I may have miss understood what you were saying about the optimization of one output vs the others. Totally my bad.

I was thinking that they optimize just one output; meaning the remaining output’s would not sound good. So, in other words, don’t bother with that transport if you can’t use the optimized output.

Im sorry I misunderstood, but appreciate you helping me understand better!

Yes, the Aero may indeed limit some people due to the relatively few inputs that it has. However, based on what I have heard from it so far, I’m enjoying what it’s doing with the RCA input 👍

Best wishes,

Don

@soix  It would seem that we may have similar tastes with us both having AZ cabling and LTA products 

I appreciate you bringing up the DDC as an option and sharing the link for the Denafrips Hermes with me as well.  I'll have to try and learn more about that as a possible option.

Thanks again and best wishes,

Don

@oddiofyl 
Thank you for your reply!

I think I have read that using an external clock can really step up the sound of the Teac; not that the Teac is bad sounding on its own.  In fact, I have been given the impression that most transports will benefit from using an external clock. 
 

The only transport that I have read about, so far, that hasn’t shown an improvement by using an external clock, is the Jay’s CDT3Mk3. It appears that the internal clock is of reference quality already.  But, that transport costs $5000.  
 

Thank you for sharing your experiences with me!

Best wishes,

Don

@aolmrd1241 

Hello!  
Congratulation's on the new CDT3Mk3. 

How do you think it sounds compared to other transports you may have had?

Which dac are you using with it?

Which digital output are you using?

Im excited for you and hoping to hear more from you about it!

Best wishes to you,

Don

Hi Mark,

Wowza, that is certainly some very high praise for the CDT3mk3🤩

I truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me about this!

You certainly have me very excited for this transport.  

Did you buy it directly thru China, or thru the USA rep in Texas?

Did you have to pay shipping or taxes or import duty taxes?

Thank you so much!

Best wishes,

Don

Thank you Mark. It's great to know that you didn't have to worry about import duty taxes or the like!

Best wishes,

Don

@aolmrd1241 

Hi Mark... no worries, I completely understand.

I just wanted to take a quick moment to say "thank you" for sharing your experiences with me about your new cd transport!

You had mentioned that you ended up buying it new directly from Alvin Chee. Do you think that there are any pros or cons buying directly from Alvin vs the US dealer Todd at Tek Audio in Texas? 

Todd said that he doesn't keep these in stock at his location in Texas, but simply has the unit dropped shipped directly to the customer. It appears the price is the same either way. Just curious if I am missing anything?

It sounds like the CDT3mk3 is an absolutely fantastic transport! I'm curious what other transports you've had the pleasure of having, just for comparison sake?

Either way, I would have to believe that the Jay's would be a monumental improvement over me using my old vintage Rotel 955AX cd player as a transport. Do you think I would I be wrong in that assumption?

I just got done paying $4000 for my new LTA Aero Dac and now considering spending another $5000 right out of the gate is giving me a little bit of pause, especially if it won't net a significant gain in sonics. I'm not the wealthiest man... it takes me time to save up the cash for these purchases, lol.

In any case, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me! 
Best wishes to you, 

Don

Hi Mark,

A big thank you again for your very detailed response!

Clearly, you have experienced a great many of digital’s finest gear. 
It’s great to hear you speak so highly the CDT3mk3 and it helps me feel that it would provide a solid foundation for whichever dac I would end up with now or in the future.  

I agree 100% in not spending more than what you’re comfortable with…hence the reason I’m not looking at $10k transports.  Very sage advice!

Thanks again, very much appreciated!

Best wishes,

Don

@kennyc Yes, I agree 100% in that there seems to be a great selection of affordable dacs that have excellent sonics at the moment.  The key is trying to audition them in your system to see which one will be synergistic with your system and sonic goals.

Thankfully, if willing to buy new, there are some companies that will allow you an in home trial for a period of time and if you are not in love with it, you can return for a partial refund.

I am currently in the process on trying to find the best dac that will suit my needs at a price that I can afford and then will purchase a new cd transport that I believe will mate best with the dac.

I appreciate you mentioning the Teac.  That has been one that has been mentioned to me on a couple of occasions, which tells me that it certainly would be worthy of consideration.

Thank you for taking the time to post on this thread.

Best wishes,

Don

Hi Mark,

Thank you for the heads-up.  I actually did notice that one a couple of days ago, but I truly appreciate you sharing the link with me as I don't check every day.

I'm going to be passing on that one.  As I look closely at the pictures in the ad, it just doesn't seem to be in as nice of condition as I would like it to be.  

Thanks again and best wishes to you,

Don

Hi aolmrd1241,

You are so awesome, looking out for me 

That looks like it would certainly fit the bill, but I really want it to be in the black finish to go with the rest of my gear.

Probably sounds fickle, but spending this kind of money... I want what I want, lol.

Thanks again for the tip, though!

Best wishes,

Don