Jay’s Audio CD Transport

Yes it is true, the CDT2 is a great sounding CDT. But the CDT3 is in fact one of the best sounding sources available at any price. Never thought I'd say that about a Redbook format device, but it is what it is. Speaking as a fellow audiophile we have tried to beat it with many expensive streamers and such but have been unable to. Even with external Master CLK'ing, eg Esoteric, which BTW did improve the device(s) it was connected to but didn't improve the CDT3 IME.

If you're looking for the best sounding CDT, the CDT3 is it IME.

TK of TEKAudioSpecialties

Hi Don. We didn't try the master CLK with the CDT2 but I assume it might have some slight benefit from it. The CDT3 has about the best CLK already, assume that is why no gain from the master CLK.

In my system I generally use a Gaia DDC, which also sounds very good and has very good CLKs. Usually I feed USB into it from streaming and take I2S out of it. When I play the CDT3 I sometimes run AES into the Gaia and keep the I2S out connection to my DAC.. We can also run the I2S straight from the CDT3 to the DAC. Both ways are great sounding.

And @Jackd, that is exactly right re: the CDT2 vs the CDT3 and was my experience as well. At the end of the day the CDT2 is a great sounding CDT that most everyone would love. Basically it beats most everything except the CDT3. For those who want the absolute best sounding, the CDT3 is the one.

Re: upsampling, it might be a benefit in a system with an NOS DAC. But we generally don't want to double upsample in a system.

TK

Just sharing an anecdotal story, a few years back I needed to audition several Focal speakers. Thankfully we have a Focal/Naim store in my area (great store). But I kinda knew I that I would need to have the best possible source to really hear the speakers could do (and coming from many decades background of Linn/Naim), and the shop was probably using a garden variety streaming setup. Soo I lugged the heavy CDT3 up there, and fortunately the kind sales person was receptive to hearing it.

My hunch proved (very) correct and the sales guy was a bit slack jawed at the magnitude of the improvement vs the streaming they were using. Had I not brought it I probably would have been a bit "meh" on the gamut of the Focal's, but with it, and a few of my fav disks one pr stood out for me in a big way. Couldn't have heard it that way without the CDT3 sourcing and those spkrs are still playing here now in my system :)

TK

@no_regrets the CDT2 has a nice CLK, but the whole top R 3rd of the CDT3 is CLK and its PSU. It’s very a serious audio effort to make the best CLK they can for it. And I think that is a large part of the improvement, but not all.

Additionally, the boards and build quality is exemplary. I’m actually a senior EE by career, having spent over 25 years in PC and notebook development industry. One of my main functions was reviewing schematic and layout design for some of the world’s major computer OEMs. If you’re concerned this might be poor quality stuff, ease your mind and don’t be; it’s not.

TK TEKAudioSpecialties