If you're worried about transport issues.....Just narrow your search to Jays and CEC. Period.
Resolving CD Transports Crowd Sourcing
Hi everyone! A couple of years ago I purchased my endgame CD transport- a Pro-Ject CD Box RS2T. Loved almost everything about the unit--highly resolving presentation, dead quiet background, balanced placement of instruments in a believable 3 dimensional soundstage, and the synergy it had with my components. In fact I loved the transport so much I had two of them because Pro-Ject quality control and customer service is the pits. After almost a year of hassles, I'm swearing of Pro-Ject.
I'm in the market for a replacement CD transport that has the same qualities of the Pro-Ject minus the quality issues and customer service.
PS Audio, Jay's Audio, CEC, Audio Research (which are CD/DAC units) come up in my search. What are your thoughts? With all the bells and whistles the Pro-Ject was around $3300, so that gives you an idea of my budget, though I could go higher.
Thanks in advance!
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I'd suggest you try the Urd via the USB connection. Mike Moffat, the designer, says "it's the best I ever heard". Listen to his Youtube video "Schiit Q&A Mike Moffat", streamed live on Jan 13, 2021, "CD Transport" chapter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToIjKCUvrow My understanding, which could be wrong, is the Schiit Urd Unison USB uses the USB Word clock to synchronize the flow of data from transport to DAC. That would probably mean the DAC Master clock is used and the Urd is the Slave. Though the roles could be reversed. Use of the Word clock in the transport-DAC control scheme is significant and allows for lower levels of jitter. I gleaned this information from listening to several of the Schiit Audio podcasts with Moffat. I don’t know why Schiit doesn’t advertise or promote the transport data synchronization scheme. It’s quite unique from what I can tell. Most DACs use input receiver chips such as CS8416 and AKM AK4113 to recover the clock data from the input signal from the spdif and AES/EBU connections. These connections can't be used as a control loop back to the transport. So, in theory, the Urd Unison USB connection should sound superior.
I use an Urd with an Yggdrasil LIM connected via USB with a a Kimber Select Cu USB-C to USB-B cable. To me, the Urd USB connection sounds superior to the SPDIF, even when I used a more expensive Jorma SPDIF cable. Imaging is a bit more precise, tonal densities are better, and the sound is more liquid through the USB connection. I have not listened to the Urd via AES/EBU, so I can comment on that connection. If you aren't using a Schiit DAC, I'm not sure if the USB function with the Urd is the same. Inexpensive USB cables can be used, just make sure they are USB 2.0 |
Transport search update-Will be auditioning an Audio Research CD6SE this coming weekend. While I have been specifically focusing on transports, the CD6SE has an onboard DAC utilizing PCM1792 dac chips (which are Delta Sigma), that can stream my Aurender N200. I It is a top loading CD player using a CDPro2R drive. I already have an ARC power amp and line stage and the ARC house sound leans towards neutrality with a bit of tube warmth.
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- 228 posts total