Pro-Ject CD Box DS3 "Redbook" Player

@tweak1 ,

Already done that, and have been keeping up with the reviews since it was released in EU and Asia. Everything I find has nothing but positive things to say about it. Since it's not yet available stateside, the only negatives I've come across are just conjecture.

All the best,
Nonoise

@nonoise 

Someone commented on the negative review in another thread. Since I am not interested in it, I didn't look further. You should have no problem, just put SU-G700M2 integrated review it in search bar

@tweak1 ,

No, I meant the SU-G700M2 integrated.

Please provide some links to these not well received findings. I've yet to encounter any.

All the best,
Nonoise

@nonoise 

Did you mean SL-G700 (SACD/CD player)? The SU-G700M2 is an integrated that wasn't well received.

@charles1dad 

Thanks for the positive attitude. You'd think that at my age I wouldn't be so quick to react, but there's always going to that kid deep inside us. 😄

All the best,
Nonoise

Their best advice is to save up the pennies and not be in a hurry.

@nonoise  

Honestly that is  wise advice unless you're in a relative hurry to get another transport.  I'm convinced that you'd love and appreciate the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 transport.  Latest high quality top loader CD transport mechanism.  There would be no looking back. You genuinely are a music lover and that  is who this transport is intended  for. 

Charles 

Ah...just got off the phone with Pro-Ject and it looks like it was another shot in the dark as far as my hopes for something that could compete with RS2 CD Box transport. It turns out that the DS3 is just the DS2 with a different DAC and one fewer digital out (no AES).
Once the AKM factory fire happened, they had to go out and source another brand and went with TI and that's about it. Their best advice is to save up the pennies and not be in a hurry. 
Looks like I'm going back to the CEC TL5 for now, if and when Technics gets the SU-G700M2 out for sale stateside. I never liked tempests in teapots. 😄

All the best,
Nonoise

@nonoise

But I have that sneaking suspicion that with the Blue Tiger servo and new firmware to get that bit perfect 1:1 playback with a CD sled dedicated to CD only playback (and not an all purpose one), if it gets within striking distance of the CD-84 Pro, then it’s the one I’ll go for.

All the best,

+1 With that rationale.

Charles

By the way, I came across this,https://www.suos-hifi.com/#

A simple scroll down to the CD- Boards section answers all my questions (chicken/egg) and shows the CD-84 to be an improvement over the CD-80. There’s also a CD-88 and CD-100.

There is no mention of what slot loader is used (the others are metal and plastic trays). Hopefully the slot drive is something new they’ve been working on or at least an improvement over what they’ve been using on the DS2 series.

All the best,
Nonoise

Ah....so. The plot thickens. Pro-Ject makes no mention of it's use on their site except for the DS3. They also categorize it and the both top loaders as "high end" compared to the rest of their line. The DS3 is also said to be a new line with better build quality and CD drive suspension as well.

And yes, I was going to get the CEC TL5 but when I read of the DS3 using the Blue Tiger servo I got the notion it would be ever bit as resolving and musical as the top loader that uses the CD-84 servo. If so (and reviews will hopefully say), then saving over half of the cost of the CEC would be the clincher for me.

If not, then it's back to the CEC TL5. But I have that sneaking suspicion that with the Blue Tiger servo and new firmware to get that bit perfect 1:1 playback with a CD sled dedicated to CD only playback (and not an all purpose one), if it gets within striking distance of the CD-84 Pro, then it's the one I'll go for. 

All the best,
Nonoise

It seems that the Stream Unlimited Blue Tiger CD 80 servo board has been around since 2009 and is used for tray and slot CD applications,  so tried and true product. 

I believe that the Blue Tiger CD -84 is a newer application for top loaders and replaced the last generation of the Phillips CD-Pro drive mechanisms. 

Time will tell until I hear back form them, but I plan on getting it and hopefully the reviews will address the matter.

All the best,

@nonoise69 

I was under the impression that you were getting the CEC TL5 transport based on your comments in another thread. I don't believe you could go wrong with either.  I definitely believe that you'll be very happy with the Pro-Ject.  The Stream Unlimited technology they utilize  is a difference maker in my opinion. 

Charles 

@acresverde , Hey, it’s all good. It’s just that sometimes it can seem a bit confounding with the responses one gets. Hard to decipher intent.

As for whether or not the CD-80 supplanted the CD-84 is up for grabs. I’ve emailed Pro-Ject about that and have yet to hear back from them.

The way they describe it, it’s a 1:1 bit perfect rendering of the CD and that’s not mentioned in any of their other transports or players, save for the CD box RS2 T. This can all be an evolutionary and further development, or it could just be that due to the internal layout being different (top loader vs slot), a new board was required to occupy a different location and something new was worked out.

I also noticed that there are only two player/transports that use the Blue Tiger servos as none of the others mentions the use of them. I would imagine that just the use of them puts them in a higher category.

Time will tell until I hear back form them, but I plan on getting it and hopefully the reviews will address the matter.

All the best,
Nonoise

@nonoise     Sorry about that last post. I'm not here to pick on anybody but, after using the link you provided of the review from High Fidelity whatever it appeared you got it wrong and I was just trying to clarify. That would have made you two for two in this thread, hence my comment (which many would have been much snarkier about). But you were right and I'm here to acknowledge same. If you go to the first link you provided it says plain as day exactly what you reported. So, again, sorry about that. Now the question is, as Charles pointed out, has the CD-80 supplanted the CD-84 as king of the heap?

Our massive aluminum chassis provides the best basis for the CD drive and our BlueTiger CD-80 servo developed by Stream Unlimited is the most advanced on the market. 

That's straight from Pro-Ject's own website, which was the first that I linked to.
It's not until the 3rd review I linked to (in a follow up post) that states "manufacturer" and that copy has unnecessary and incorrectly hyphenated words which can be from a bad translation. In fact, that particular copy with the poorly hyphenated words is used in other publications announcements that came out later. Not all of them, but some.

That is some real nit picking. Does someone have an axe to grind, or what?

All the best,
Nonoise

The copy describing the SU CD Pro 80 servo says that its manufacturer (SU) is the most advanced servo manufacturer in the world.

Thanks @acresverde

That clarification makes perfect sense. I was pretty certain that Stream Unlimited touts the Blue Tiger CD Pro-84 servo as their best unit. I have no doubt that their CD  Pro- 80 servo is also quite capable. Teaming up with Stream Unlimited was a very smart decision by Pro-Ject. 

Charles

@acresverde, I really did take the time to read it on several review sites that announced it and I found only two that stated that, after I posted the thread. The first ones I came across didn't state it that way.

I also noticed that some copy didn't seem to translate as well as others which would account for the differences from publication, to publication.

By the way, what crawled up you and died?

All the best,
Nonoise

@nonoise    You really should take the time to read more carefully. The copy describing the SU CD Pro 80 servo says that its manufacturer (SU) is the most advanced servo manufacturer in the world.

Have the project DS3 with Peachtree Nova 300 and LSA 20 Statement speakers in one of my systems.  Unit works fine and sound is great.

Thanks for the post, nonoise :-)

Pro-ject overall makes some nice stuff, too bad their turntables seemingly get a bad rap from some. I know first hand that their mid priced and upper tier tables are excellent. The Classic sb, especially with the ortofon quintet red was great value. I don't know much about their cd player offerings, but I'm sure they are very nice. I will say that their tube box ds2 is very underrated. It is a fantastic tube phono stage with immense flexibility and good looks, especially with the wood side panels. 

Thanks for posting. Waiting for reviews on how it sounds. 

Just found out it’s going to go for $899, stateside. Relatively speaking, that’s still on the less expensive side. It’s gonna be a long, one month wait to read the reviews.

Here's another review that shows the Servo board and new suspension set up.
Just click on the images and they'll enlarge.

All the best,
Nonoise

When describing the servo, they say the CD-80 is the most advanced on the market. Does anyone know if this supersedes the CD-Pro 84?

All the best,
Nonoise

Interesting question.  The Blue Tiger -84 servo is used in the higher model line RS2 CD BOX which represents Pro-Ject's best CD playback effort.  Also utilized for expensive tier CD transports/players  Aqua Hifi La Diva,  Accustic Arts Drive II and Gryphon Ethos. So I suspect that the 84 servo is the higher quality unit.

Nonetheless I strongly believe that this new DS3 model is very,very good. Pro-Ject seems to have figured out how to extract excellent Redbook CD playback. No doubt that this is a terrific value/sound quality component. 

Charles 

Oops! You’re right on that. Had to go back to Pro-Ject’s site and they are different but, that they’re using a Streams Unlimited Blue Tiger Servo could make a difference. Here’s the CDP on their site.

When describing the servo, they say the CD-80 is the most advanced on the market. Does anyone know if this supersedes the CD-Pro 84?

All the best,
Nonoise

This is not the same servo. The top loader uses the SU CD Pro 84 servo.