Sony DVP9000ES as a Redbook Transport?

Chris,

I did try one a couple of years ago without much success. At the time I had a couple of well regarded DACs and a couple of good CD players. Both the Theta Miles CD player and the Cary CD-308 used as a transport sounded better than the Sony DVP-9000ES used as a transport.

The Sony just didn't produce a good soundstage and it didn't produce as much detail.

Interestingly, many people say all transports sound the same. It just isn't true if the rest of your system is capable of letting you heard the differences. Today I stuck a buddy's Meridian 508.24 into my second system to replace the Sony DVP-NS775 that I'm currently using as a transport in that system. The Meridan was much better. It produced better detail and a more musical presentation.

It doesn't make sense that transports sound different, but they do.....

Enjoy,

TIC

BTW, YMMV if the rest of your system doesn't have the resolution to allow you to hear the difference.

Theoretically, ANY transport should produce IDENTICAL bit for bit output. The true digital output is either 1 or 0. The only way one transport would sound better than another is if it somehow interacts in a "better" way. Perhaps certain DACs perform better with a lower noise threshold, rise time, fall time or jitter in the digital signal. From my standpoint as an engineer, the best way to de-couple the transport and the DAC is use of an optical cable.

I would love to know what your results are, as I have an unmodified DVP-S9000ES.

Lucas

Like Reubent said: "It doesn't make sense that transports sound different, but they do....."

I am well aware that this subject has been talked nearly to death, and I have read the comments of many of the non-believers. All I can say that until YOU hear the changes made by a good transport in an APPROPRIATELY REVEALING SYSTEM, you are simply on the sidelines making guesses.

Like Reubent said: "...they do..."

I used the 9000es in combination with a Bel Canto DAC2. The Bel Canto “warmed” up the sound and improved the detail considerably over the 9000es by itself. I thought it was a nice match-up at the time. I sold the Bel Canto (and kept the 9000 for DVD and SACD) and bought an Audio Aero Prima. For less money than the Sony transport + Bel Canto DAC + digital cable the Prima was a significant upgrade. Kind of made me wonder why I went to all the trouble. Unless you need a DVD player a good 1 box solution is probably a better way to go, IMO.

Thanks for all of the input. I am a big believer in what a difference a transport makes. I have now tried several in my system but just have not found the right one..

BTW: I own an Electrocompaniet ECD-1 DAC. I would consider a one box solution but the DAC serves double duty on my computer music..

Thanks again,

Chris

If you haven't already check out Empirical Audio. He seems to do alot of what you're after.

In theory all transports should be the same,
however in real life there are some differences, which make them sound different. To name a few: Jitter, Power supply noise, error correction algorithm, etc.....
The lack of detailes and poor soundstage probably caused by a jitter on SPDIF output.
Properly designed external DAC can help significantly.

I currently have a Sony DVP9000ES and an Arcam FMJ 23.Both
are being run into a Benchmark DAC 1.I am purchasing a
Denon 3930CI. I plan on keeping the Sony or the Arcam. Any suggestions on which one to keep.Currently I use a Toslink from the 9000ES to the Benchmark and a D-60 coax from the Arcam to the Benchmark. ???