Schiit URD CD Transport SOON?


A non-working model of the long rumored Schiit URD CD Transport has started showing at hifi shows. The device was shown in the Schiit Booth at T.H.E Show in California a week or so ago.

Here’s the article:

https://www.ecoustics.com/news/schiit-audio-the-show-2023/

New photo from the T.H.E. Show display:

128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xcreativepart

Maybe it is lost on me but I do not understand the appeal of the USB input function, pasted via the Schiit site:

 

Here’s where things get interesting: you can also connect two USB devices to the Urd. Yes, Urd has two USB inputs! Then, choose what you want to listen to—CD, USB1, or USB2—using the standard remote control. Now, you can run CDs when you feel like it, and stream when you want convenience, all with a DAC with a single USB input.

 My DAC, and I feel like most every DAC that I have seen or is available (including  nany of or most of Schiit's own products), has a USB input, several Coax, optical, and maybe AES connection. I plug in a streamer and CD player to the DAC, and used to plug a TV into it also, and could switch those inputs via its remote. So to me, most DACs out there already solve this problem that Schiit is suggesting is a value-add of this product. 

 

Just saying or what am I missing...

@arcangles "Just saying or what am I missing..."

My understanding is that Mike Moffat at Schiit, their co-owner and designer of their digital gear, strongly prefers their Unison USB over coax and optical connections.  Many DACs, including Schiit's most expensive units, have only one USB input.  That means that if you want to have both a streamer and a CD player in your system, you'd have to relegate one of the player outputs to something other than USB. Using their new Urd CD player would allow you to use USB for all of the player outputs -- the CD player and two other USB out devices. 

In my case, I took the CD player out of my system a long time ago and have no desire to return, but I can see how some users would appreciate the options offered by Schiit's approach.  As they say, YMMV. 

Schiit used to offer a product called Etr... get it, Schiit Etr? So childish, but OK. I have one and it served one purpose... a DDC.

So, you input USB and get S/PDIF and maybe an AES-EBU connection output. The Etr had Coax and Toslink outputs. If you had an old non-USB DAC, or just preferred S/PDIF this product was for you. Lot's of folks make DDCs now a days.

Schiit stopped making the Etr when Unison USB came out and they get LOTs of requests for a new Etr with Unison USB.  They claim they don't need to make one, just use Unison USB and you're all set.

So, this product sort of does the job and Stoddard even called it a DDC in the Head-HiFi description of the products creation.

To me the URD is an very interesting CD transport and it is certainly well priced, for everyone looking for a serious performing machine with great interest in just playing CD’s, like me.

That said, the only things that bothers me are:
- the size of it, as I like normal sized components
- the display, too small
- the design, as it looks like a regular dvd player
- the small type USB plugs, as they can hold more than extra light cables.

A few weeks ago I have bought an Audiolab 9000 CDT (extremely pleased with it) but I would love the chance to test the URD. 
I will sell some stuff later this year and buy another CD transport (as I have several dacs) but unfortunately it will not be the URD, for the reasons listed before.