New Project RS2T transport

@charles1dad

Thank you Charles.

With my chair right next to the transport I never used the remote.

I guess I should have previously paid some attention to the instructions that I just looked at.

Maybe if I had I might have been able to listen until the replacement arrives.

Thanks to all who commented on the magnetic puck.

I wasn't too concerned with it since my unit is soon to be swapped out. But last night under close examination I too had a teeny rough spot which upon removal corrected this issue. 

For those considering an LPS for this transport, I placed an order for the Fidelizer Nikola II on July 6th. At that time parts for the actual 20v transformer were on back order. A follow up 2 days ago brought information that the core materials have arrived. The unit should be completed about Aug. 15th.

It's unclear to me if the raw materials are available to build multiple units at this time. If interested contact Keetakawee. So far he has been fantastic to work with.

@charles1dad 

Let's hope that the right individuals have taken notice. If defective units continue to be circulated the community will gravitate towards other reliable alternatives. That would most certainly be a shame considering the level of performance in this relatively affordable product.

I have the same issue along with a couple of other problems. This concern creates a loading issue of certain discs for me. By pressing down with light pressure helps the loading process on my soon to be replaced unit. The worst examples of this will not load and is very noisy making the attempt.

The problem I’m guessing is the tolerance is too tight not allowing for the slight variance in disc imperfections.

I should have my replacement in about 2 weeks. Thank goodness since it looks like I got the Uberlemon.

@charles1dad Wait, I’m confused.

My wall wart which has been in service while I await the Nikola II is always plugged in. However, for each attempted listening session I would utilize the small power lever on the front of the RS2-T that when activated yields that small blue light.

Is stand by just with the power supply active?

It sure looks like the RS2-T gremlins are out in full force today.

My main problem has been intermittent powering up just as @robshaw described. Up to today when the unit didn’t power up, a 10-minute recess and retry would yield results. Once powered up I was good to go the entire listening session. Tonight 6 tries at 10-minute intervals bared no fruit. My unit now appears to be toast.

In hindsight I should have left it powered up continuously until the cavalry arrives.

Many fine recommendations listed so far.

I have a Cullen Crossover, Triode Wire Labs 8+ and a 10+ along with a Signal Cable magic PC and 3 Signal Cable Digital References.

I wasn't a fan of the Signal magic however for my system and set up the Digital Reference is the most neutral PC of my group. The Triodes are very close but a little warmer presentation that I do not need emphasized. The Cullen I found to be slightly heavy in the bass region but hasn't been auditioned in my main rig for a long time.

The Digital reference can be used anywhere. It is 12 gauge which is sufficient for everything with the possible exception of the most powerful amps.

Pricing for this cable which recently was an absolute steal is still a great bargain. The one stinker about it is that it's difficult to work with being so darn stiff.

These cables have been evaluated with my Tekton Double Impacts which if memory serves is the speaker you're trying to match up. 

Also a big "Thank You" to Charles for alerting me to the standby feature of the RS2T by utilizing the remote. Once I got the unit to power up, the standby has worked at least a dozen straight times. I can only assume it will continue as such until my replacement finally shows up. 

Purchased a Nikola II on July 6th. 

My last update inquiry was on Aug. 16th. Fidelizer has respond timely to requests for information. The following day I was informed my unit was to be built that weekend and should be shipped to me this past week. No shipping information as of this moment.

I'm not sure if going forward there will continue to be component supply issues which was paramount in causing most of the delay it appears in building me an RS2T LPS. 

I would recommend a conversation to this point for future potential customers.

LP

@charles1dad

Frustrating...yes. I know it hasn’t been a real long time, but it sure feels that way.

It can be hard for a business to do but what’s that saying about under promise and over deliver? Anyway, I feel it has to be shipped this week because I’m starting to get crabby.

@robshaw 

The reason Charles and I chose the  same LPS is simply the fact I have a lot of respect for Charles 1 Dad's knowledge and audiophile connections for evaluation purposes. In other words I've ridden his coattails!

I ordered the LPS on July 6th. As mentioned in an earlier post it is taking a little longer than expected.

Hoping for shipping information this week.

LP

My Nikola II has shipped and is projected to arrive on Friday.

Also, Sumiko messaged me yesterday that my replacement RS2-T is tested and ready to do the exchange. 

I guess the old adage "when it rains it pours" applies here.

Hopefully all goes smooth this time around. Won't take long to find out now.

@charles1dad 

I received the Nikola last Wednesday, and the RS2-T this past Saturday.

Both arrived in excellent condition and are functioning as intended. But do I hate break-in time. 

I intensified the process by retreating connections with Mad Scientist graphene along with the fact that I utilize many PPT mats that need to settle in as well.

Immediately however I noticed a slight increase in resolution. Otherwise from the lower midrange on down there is a lack of precision and control along with the loss of dynamic contrasts that give life and excitement.

Already today I'm noticing a mild improvement in the lower regions that's giving me the confidence to know it's just a matter of time now.

         LP

@charles1dad 

I contemplated discussing with Keetakawee a possible upgrade to the umbilical, but let go of the idea because of all the delays and no mention on the website.

Did you initially use the stock cord for a good period of time prior to your friend building your OCC?

     LP

@robshaw @charles1dad 

I believe Robshaw and I are out of the woods in the area of reliability for the foreseeable future. Hopefully this is due to Pro-Ject addressing the issues and not the case of the squeaky wheel.

My RS2-T and Nikola II improve every day and last night's listening was quite enjoyable. With only 19 hours on the unit and 3 settling days I'm really looking forward to what's ahead.

I regret not discussing the length of the DC cable. Like Charles my LPS is on the same isolation platform as the RS2-T. About 1/2 meter or so would have been perfect as opposed to the 1 size fits all. A good point for all to remember when ordering an  LPS with a clear set up plan.

@charles1dad 

"The Nikola II has an upgraded larger transformer, heavier gauge wire and better quality Mundorf capacitors. "

Yes, looks like quality parts probably throughout. I was impressed to see a Furutech IEC as well.

@robshaw 

That is the cord from the power supply to the Project, correct?

Yes the power supply to the RS2-T cable.

The supplied cable I now have buried so I'm not exactly sure of its length. However, it's pretty long. If you sure of positioning I would recommend requesting an appropriate shorter length.

The shorter the length the better usually for sonics, and who needs to deal with messy cables right?

    LP

@robshaw 

I'm sorry but I can't offer any additional help on this subject.

I know Charles has a great system along with the knowledge to make solid decisions. When he mentioned his respected friend auditioned a few quality candidates and Charles was enthusiastic about the Nikola II's performance in his own system as well, that was good enough for me. 

I've been fortunate in my audiophile journey with only the RS2-T giving me warranty issues through a long career. Some of your legitimate concerns being warranty and service did not weigh heavy on my decision. 

Things continue to improve every time I listen. Good recordings are exciting to listen to with a lot of break-in still to go.

I know there are many fine choices you can weigh your pluses and minuses. For what I was trying to achieve the Nikola II was an excellent choice.

Best of luck with whatever LPS you choose, and I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

    LP

@robshaw 

The unit I had built is 20V 3A. That was the main reason it took so long to receive mine. Keetawakee had to wait for the core parts for the transformer.

As far as the diameter of the DC plug, I'm not sure since Keetawakee was very familiar with the requirements for the RS2-T. Perhaps Charles knows, but if you choose a different manufacturer if necessary, a quick reach out to Sumiko should answer that for you.

   LP

@robshaw 

I had questions and ended up ordering through an exchange of e-mails with Keetawakee.

   LP

Just checking in with you. How is your RS2T-Nikola II pairing going as you’ve gained additional burn-in use/hours?

I guess if this was the race, I would be the tortoise. Next time that I listen will surpass the 60 hours of listening.

Even to this point with the Nikola II the music is better controlled and focused. The only area of performance still lagging behind my previous RS2-T with stock PS is the tonal accuracy of the lower bass. The body and authority of the low end recently filled in, and I'm confident as things progress that it will take just a little more time to complete the process. Once that occurs, I will be completely satisfied with this combination as my source going well into the future.

I have recently placed some pure silver power cables from Lavricables (Grand and Master series) into my system and my goodness!! Improved sound quality across the board (From what was already very good. 

I think I understand. My only silver cables are Kimber KCAG interconnects. Even with those I wouldn't want my system to get any warmer sounding.

After a little more break in I plan on experimenting with DAC's. That's a subject for a different thread though.

Silver cabling will have to wait a while for the tortoise.

   LP

Interesting timing with the reactivation of this thread. Those following it know I also had a defective RS2-T. After a couple of months of frustration, I received a replacement tested unit in August.

Until last Friday when I lost power for 45 minutes everything was hunky-dory.

After losing power in the past, I would unplug most gear until the power was restored. Due to poor judgement based on not wanting to disturb graphene contact treatment I failed to see the bigger picture and left all gear plugged in.

Anyway, during the outage I turned the power switch off on my Gustard R-26 and RS2-T. When trying to power on after the restoration of power the RS2-T did not respond. Bypassing my theatrics on the 3rd attempt switching the unit on I noticed a very slight movement-sound from the laser assembly. On the 5th try to power on with about one minute intervals between attempts the unit began to function and again is working properly for the time being.

It’s a shame because sonically this transport even in stock form is a joy to listen to and can be enhanced to a higher level of sonic purity by adding a quality LPS like my Fidelizer Nikola II that I’m guessing this combo would compete with units many times its asking price.

I will baby this unit the best I can, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if a different transport is in my future.

LP

Very simple repair of the puck. I used very fine steel wool to smooth out any slight burrs. 

@charles1dad 

Yes, I did. 

I was a little surprised how much Israel was promoting the mono's which gave me pause for concern. Mono's due to some set-up complications is something I had decided against.

I've been following a couple of recent amplifier threads trying to understand the synergy between my Truth line stage, 4 ohm Tekton Double Impacts and various stereo tube amps. More information or maybe just a review with better understanding will make my decision easier.

The use of a less desirable driver in the stereo Frankenstein compared to the mono's along with the possibility that the power of a push pull amp might be a benefit with 4 Ohm Tektons, and no way to audition the stereo Frankenstein has me evaluating other tube amps.

@bernardo 

Having been down the rabbit hole with a defective unit I would lean towards a new unit.

How much are you saving by buying the year-old unit? I will make a guess at 25%. The additional expense is not only an insurance policy but also a unit that hasn't been used for a year.

Either way best of luck to you.

LP

@astronomer63 

I've lost power several times this year with my RS2-T always being in standby mode. It now seems the best approach under these circumstances is to just leave the unit on. When I first encountered an outage with the unit in standby, I would switch it off awaiting power restoration. Is that the way you handled the situation?  That was when I had problems powering up. The last few outages I leave it alone and when power returns the unit is on awaiting a disc to load. I then return it to stand by and this has worked I believe 3 times now. I've never had a problem coming out of standby to on.

With the 2 units I have had I never experienced random skipping that then shuts the unit down. 

You paid for a perfect working unit and should be permitted to exchange for just such a player.

    LP