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

I learned long ago to buy what you REALLY want.  You clearly want these and if they are running well, get them.  You will enjoy every second of ownership.  👍

The Reimyo stuff was very highly regarded for sound quality and I suspect it would hold its own on CD level digital files even now.  I believe the DAC uses the Burr-Brown PCM1704U chip, which is very well-regarded and generally considered to be quite musical.  Can you listen to it first?  Also, you might want to check into servicing options in the event you might ever need to have it fixed.  You may have seen this (link) review.

From AI:

Are you able to hear the Reimyo combo in your system?   

One of the primary considerations with an older CD transport is the availability of a replacement CD drive/reader mechanism.   The original might not be available, but are there substitutes?   If so, perhaps buy one now - as a future backup.

I have a modded high-end DAC from 2007 that competes quite well with modern DAC’s of today, if not better.  I can also tweak the SQ with the digital IC and/or power cord.  

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...

So it's an upsampled Burr-Brown PCM1704U. For what it's worth. The Pontus will sound better. 

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. 

With CD player/transport, I would worry most about gapless playing ability. Read reviews and go from there. I assume you will use digital out from CD and feed it into DAC, so "sound quality" of the CD player is a non-issue. The other factor to consider it the remote, and where you place your CD player in relation to your seating position. Some remotes require line of sight and have narrow acceptance angle, whereas others are more forgiving in that regard.

With DACs, digital technology is moving fast, so I would tend to go with newer iteration. However, I have not heard significant objective quality differences with DACs differing 20x in price (250 vs. 5K). A bit of flavor difference, but not one is clearly and all the time better than the other. 

my 2c.

My  thoughts are also the newer DAC will sound better and if its a nice vintage system i would look for an R2R DAC. Also to consider can you get replacement for that CD transport, specifically the drive and optical parts. I do not know what that company used for drives and optical sensor but probably not available anymore. 

Good friend of mine owns a used/vintage audio shop and has stopped taking CD players/transports in that are 10 years old or more due to no parts for them. He's got a very expensive player he can not get parts for now and its now a paper weight.  

Don't fall for the "I wanted one back in the day" thing it could be a disappointment in the future you.   

@borg7x9 

If it were me, I'd get the Reimyo pair in a heartbeat because a) build quality, b) desirability, c) fits in a vintage system far better than modern Chinese midfi, d) resale value.

This of course assumes that your audition at the seller's concludes to your satisfaction.

If the Reimyo uses a Philips CD-PRO transport, there are still tens of thousands of those in daily use out there. Parts availability should not be an issue for a long time. It's quite unlikely you'll ever need to replace the entire CD-PRO; replacement laser pickups cost $50 or less.

@OP - does it matter if modern digital would sound better?. Modern amps and speakers would sound better too, so in the context of the system overall the Reimyo is going to be plenty good enough.

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. 

The latest design of the Topping D90 is seen in the Link. 

The New Design will win admirers as it has a option where there is a user interface and there are adjustments that can be done to suit the users preferences.

These adjustments might come in quite useful if an Interface with a supporting device is one from a Vintage era, and needs a little extra sent through it to get it up to par when used in a particular assembly of a audio system.

https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/topping-d90-iii-discrete?srsltid=AfmBOooA1n5gIo67x6Qd1utWs8Kuf632LdkCabvczQ6KZhVKYx-Oq0_6

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.

Hello Borg 7x9. Thanks for your reply. For context, I'm an audio consultant and I get to hear a lot of systems of all kinds. I completely appreciate the positive qualities you find in SET amplification and vinyl playback. BTW, the Concept is a fine turntable. Just as a PS, it is possible to have highly resolving playback that is not analytical sounding - possible but not necessarily easy...

@borg7x9 

So much of our hobby, practically all of it, is subjective, purchases can be purely emotional, and the process experiential.  You’ll be taking a 7 hour road trip, with hopefully nice scenery along the way (experiential part) to listen to and buy something you lusted after for some time (emotional part) that will fit nicely and aesthetically with your classic Leak gear (subjective part).  Sounds like a winning combination all the way around.  
 

If I can suggest something to enhance the day even more.  On the way back, go for a nice long hike somewhere along the way, download the All Trails App if you don’t already have it.  That way you won’t get tired on the long ride back.

Several years ago, I was selling a top of the line Laser Disc unit with a bunch of laser discs for a friend.  I ended up having to transport it 4 hours away.  I was close by an audio friend who I never met before, so I connected with him afterwards and we traded some audio gifts.  On the way back, I took a different route and ended up taking a beautiful hike in Central PA that I would have never gone to if I hadn’t done this road trip.  
 

Keep us posted and let us know how the road trip went.

Lou

@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.

Hello again also Borg7x9. You are absolutely right about the economics of buying CDs v vinyl records. I'm sure you are sorry to see your Brinkmann/Kuzma go but the good thing with the Concept is that such "sins" as it has are those of omission and it sounds very balanced. The external PSU is well worth considering as it does measurably lower the noise floor. Best of luck and happy listening on both vinyl and digital. Y

@borg7x9 

Thats amazing!  Hopefully, in the future you will always look back on acquiring this  new gear as an awesome adventure.  
 

I remember about 12.5 years ago, I was soon to be getting separated and was selling my whole system.  It was the dead of winter, on a freezing cold day, when a young man dressed like royalty, wearing a 3 piece suit with the old school charm of a pocket watch hanging from his vest and French cuffs carrying 2 violin cases came down my walkway and knocked on my door.  He explained that he was a in the Orchestra and also a violin teacher and that he simply could not leave his prized violins in the car or they would be ruined and the 2 of them were worth about $8K.  
 

He ended up buying my entire stereo system and even the large audio stand as well. A custom Conn organ amp model to run 6bG6’s in PP Triode, Yamaha preamp, Rega Planar 3, Nakamichi BX125, and Linn Nexus speakers with stands.  He then honored us with a private concert for about an hour in our living room.  
 

About a month later, I received a nice hand written letter from him written by a calligrapher with the envelope sealed with wax, like it was from the 18th century.  I really needed to sell the whole system too but what a total experience it had been!   Have a feeling you may be in store for something equally as memorable.