Old Vs New ..... Transport and dac.

Hi Guys, Thanks for your kind and helpful comments....

HK, I think I will get them, As long as it all works well. We're sorting out a listening session over a couple of drinks, so I'll be able to decide if its going to do what I want. I'm sure it will. And in the scheeme of things it's not huge amount of money, so not a lot of risk. 

Mich..I'll be able to listen to it using the sellers system, I'm familiar with the sound of his speakers(Sonus faber Guarneri Homage) etc. and while they couldn't be more different from what I'm doing I think I'll be able to tell whether the characteristics I like are there. That Review is interesting in that It talks about the upgraded Dac that I'll be looking at. Lots of great information in there. The review does nothing but encourage me to buy it !!! 

Steakster. I won't be able to hear it in my system, that would have been nice. But I'll be able to have an extended listen in the seller's system They are 7 hours drive away. Which I'm happy to do.. It'll be an road trip adventure. You make a couple of interesting points about tweaking the IC and PC. The seller is also selling a High Fidelity CT-1 Digital Interconnect. which he says brought an improvement over the OEM harmonix cable. Maybe I'll buy that as well if it works well for me. I've never really investigated the Power cable tuning thing. Can this be used to tune with as great an effect as the digital interconnect ??The Philips mechanism is the CD Pro 2m . Which I see is still available at 1000usd on a website I found, I also found a company that was looking at manufacturing a replacement called the cd Pro V. but I think that's a ways off yet. I also think that I read Kuichi San had bought enough transports at the end for all future servicing requirements.... It would be nice to proactively find an OEM one somewhere that I can hold just in case. Good idea and peace of mind ( somewhat ). 

Once more, thanks for your comments, I'll let you know how I get on. 

In the meanwhile if anyone out there has listened or still has the Reimyo Trans and dac. I'd appreciate your thoughts on how you enjoy them as well. 

Thanks everyone...

Hi Eric, I wouldn’t be surprised at all… however, worst case scenario is I can use the transport as a classic great looking thing, and if I don’t like the dac as much as I’d hoped I can just get a new dac. Even though it only has a spdif over coaxial , no i2s. Not sure how restrictive that might end up being. I have a friend who has a Denafripps dac, not sure which one. Maybe a comparison will be in order. 
 

Thanks for your help. 

Hi Oberon. Its a dedicated transport and dac. Not a cd player. So you are right. I'll be mostly playing cd's not streaming. Not too worried about gapless playback, but I have read a number of people complaining about it. I'm also not too worried about a Remote, I'm most likely to listen to discs end to end. I'll connect a streamer as well I expect for casual listening and that will have all remote functions. In terms of the fast moving technology etc. Computational power is always moving at speed so there will be difference im sure. Im not sure its al about that though. Input / output stage design, transformer quality, power supply quality can all have a big impact and I think the engineering in the Reimyo will be second to none. Lets see how the audition goes. In terms of reviews the Reimyo was one declared the best dac in the world.. the paring universally got amazing reviews.... However, at the end of the day a review is just some one's opinion. We'll see. Thanks for your comments, it's all helping me think through.  

Hi Glen.. "the Reimyo DAP-999EX Limited DAC is a R-2R ladder DAC. It was designed by Combak/Reimyo in Japan and utilizes their specific R-2R ladder design, according to StereoNET."

So It seems that it is a ladder dac...Probably not such a common thing back in 2010. I was a bot surprised when I learned that. 

It also uses the JVC K2 chip set that is used to master all the JVC xrcd and FIM series of cd recordings, Some of the best recordings on cd I've heard.

So It's got a lot going for it, other than the obsolete cd mechanism (phillips cd pro 2m) and surely the tech has moved on somewhere. How that all translates into sound quality , remains to be seen. From what I've read it should deliver what I'm looking for. I expect it to substantially out perform my Meridian 3 box digital front end I once had and my current  line magnetic cd player (also serves as a usb dac) that uses the ESS9016  chip, which I quite like anyway. It'll be fun.

Thanks Devin,

that's the kind of comment I like, ( supporting my original , possibly deluded, idea that Its going to be great ) :-).... I agree that there must be many, many philips cd pro mechanisms out there. A lot of the high end manufacturers used them I think. As long as its been looked after and I can get it serviced that I don't see why it wouldn't continue to run for many years. Those mechanisms where chosen for their durability/ reliability and accuracy in the first place.

You are right...It will look great along side my goldy/bronze leak stereo 20 tube amp and pre amp, they are quite a similar color.

Thanks for your kind comments.

Hi Yoyo,

I think that better is subjective. It seems to me that there has been a push in modern hifi to extract and project every tiny detail out of what you are listening too. Huge Power amps gripping your voice coils in a vice like grip, Presenting a clinked glass in the audience, as a spotlighted event in its own right. Now don't get me wrong, Some people love all that sort of thing, but I've found it a bit hard work as its gone on. And have resorted to tubes (SET) and Vinyl mostly. With some lovely results It's just I've never prioritised a digital front end in a system before. I will be using a Clear audio concept Turntable in this sytem as well. I could have bought a nice Garrard 301/401 with a nice tone-arma and plinth for the same amount as the reimyo pairing, but I thought I'd have a change. Lets see how it all goes... I'll post back my findings here when Ive got it all sorted out. 

Plus as long as its good enough to allow me to relax listening to some cd's of an evening with drinking a bottle of wine.... then its good enough ( I hope ).

Thanks for your thoughts.

@glennewdick , While the R2R ladder dac in the Denafripps is built using discrete resistors. The Reimyo uses the burr brown PCM1704u. It implements the same architecture but on a chip... So everything is not equal. There are pro's and con's of both solutions. 

Hi pindac… that certainly looks like mega flexible device. And could certainly be usefull in bridging components and in tweaking the sound so it works well in your environment. Interesting. 
 

thanks for the cool idea.

@lou_setriodes 

Hi Lou, I know this drive very well. Until recently, I lived near where the seller is. It's  a beautiful part of the country ( i'm in New Zealand) . I get to drive through Tongariro national park. Which was used for filming parts of the Lord of the rings films. This time of year there will be snow on the mountains. It will be beautiful . I had a good long chat with the guy selling and he seems like a very good natured enthusiast. I love a road trip and to make it more enjoyable, I will travel there, spend a lovely evening listening to the system, and chatting, drink some local wine (in moderation of course)....book a hotel room for the night, and travel back the next day. It will be a beautiful adventure. I will return a different way which has a great walk up to a waterfall. It wasn't part for my original plan, but now you have me thinking that I should do the hike ( about 2 hours all up, what a great idea ). Weather permitting of course.

You are absolutety right, It's not all about absolute measured performance. A lot of what we love in music is the soul and intangible beauty of it all. I think the Combak Reimyo fits very much into this Artisan, lovingly created category.

When anyone asks me what piece of Hi-fi I've enjoyed the most , my answer is always the Yamamoto A-08s , Tube power amp( 2 watts per channel) that I bought new, directly from Yamamoto san in Japan. When it turned up it was a thing of beauty. Beautiful cherry wood, top and sides, ebony feet(all hand finished), hand wound transformers and it sounded amazing... I loved that thing. So much Tone and nuance, flow and presence. It really got to the heart of the music. Of course this is subjective....

Anyhow, thanks for your thought provoking input. I will enjoy the process as well as the end result.

Take care. B.

@yoyoyaya 

Hi again Yoyo. The plan was to focus this system on CD playback, and start to collect cd's, given how cheap you can buy them.... And how expensive new record are to collect.....I was a bit reluctant to buy a "budget" turntable...My last Turntable was a Brinkmann lagrange, with a Kuzma 4point tone arm and an emt cartridge. So i was thinking that the clear audio may not live up to my Vinyl expectations. I almost didn't get it. but its like new, in its box. It comes with the clearaudio dust cover, and the owner made me an offer I couldn't refuse and was happy to sell it for 500 USD. I couldn't turn it down. At least it will allow me to play my record collection at some level. I'm interested in how I'll find MM cartridges. I bought a new Nagaoka MP200. because I don't think the arm would stand a low compliance cart... Otherwise I'd have loved a Miyajima Shilabe Cart. But I don't think it'lll work on that low mass arm.... 

It's great to know that you think the Concept can perform well. I may well try and get a better power supply for it at some point... but one thing at a time. 

Anyway... thanks very much for your thoughts, all these conversation anre helping me think through and make my decisions. I much prefer to chatting through ideas and establish the way forward. 

Cheers !!! 

B.