2. digital
  3. 1023242698

Transport - will it really make an improvement

Looking for honest advice. I am considering buying a better transport, and cant yet convince myself that it will really make an improvement in my system. At present, I am using a Pioneer elite DV-05 dvd player as a transport with an outboard, Assemblage, platnum dac and upsampler. I am overwhelmed with the improvements the dac made in my system, in lieu of using the inboard dac in the Pioneer Elite. However, I'm just not convinced, due to lack of digital knowledge, that a digital output from one source could be that much better than another. I seam to think that differences in quality of cd players, are mainly attributable to their internal dac's and not the transport or digital side. Of course, I maybe completely wrong!! On the other hand, I would hope to expect a difference if comparing my 500.00 dvd player, to say a 6k transport, but are not looking to spend any where near that much money. Please enlighten me with some education, and if you have any recommendations on a used transport for around 1k. Thanks, Steve

Oh, in case it matters, I have a pair of Innersound Eros MK1 electrostats with their new xover bass amp and ESL amp + good cables.
sfrounds

Showing 1 response by consttraveler

consttraveler
250 posts
 
My own experience:

I have used both Sony and Onkyo DVD players (both top of their respective line) as a digital front end. I recently purchased a Chord DAC 64 and found that I could not listen to my music, because I was distracted by the crap coming from the DVD players. I A-B'd both and found the Onkyo (about 4 years newer than the Sony) to be marginally better, but still not acceptable. I was hearing MUCH more information with the Chord, and some of it was obviously garbled.

I have recently added a used Mark Levinson 37 transport, and I am now in musical heaven. Now, my only gripe is my being able to tell the difference between a bad/good/great recording! Ignorance was bliss.

Best regards, Dave.
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