Yamaha CD S1000 or S2100 as transport

I auditioned the S1000 and was very impressed. Had I not gotten the deal on the S3000 I might have bought the S1000. It was that good as a transport.

I own the CDS1000 and think it is phenomenal.  Tray is butter smooth on open and close, completely silent. Super impressed with it.  It's the only SACD I have in use at the moment and nothing to previously compare it to, unless we count a Pioneer Elite from about 20 years ago that was a disaster, but I picked up a Marantz Ruby for another system I'm building so will be interesting to compare them.  But I like the Yammy a lot

thetakeout: Yes, I got a very good deal on a new CD3000 and pulled the trigger. It's a massive piece of gear, built beautifully and like a tank (a graceful tank). I'm running it as a transport only and finding it quite nice. No regrets so far.

Output555, did you ever move on a Yamaha?  I would love to hear an update!

Thanks, but as I stated in my original post: I am not considering or soliciting recommendations for other transports or players. 

You may want to consider the fantastic  C.E.C. Belt Driven CD transport TL5,a 110 volts unit built like a tank. It is a top loading CD transport. The price is around $1000. (Shipping included)  With some trepidation I ordered one directly from a Japanese vendor.

The packaging was first class and in few weeks I received mine ( the manual is in Japanese ) To be safe I did get a 110/120v transformer from Amazon.

I am very happy with it

Output555 yes I use the s1000 with my Ares.

All have two years.

Does one have a better warranty? 

If you are looking for a great transport look for the old Marantz CD-94.  We still use one in our listening room.  Excellent transport both build quality and sound quality.

Happy Listening.

Jayctoy: You mean you're using the Denafrips Ares DAC with the S1000 as a transport, correct?

I totally agree. My big hesitation with the Yamahas is their spotty quality control. Lots of folks have reported problems with these units. For a product costing upwards of $6000 there should almost no issues. I have read mixed reviews about after the sale service. Some say Yamaha is great, some say the worst. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. 

I own the s1000 , Iam using Ares transport from denafrips. And Marigo apparition digital cable. I love this combo.

@output555 It's my pleasure. I find it fascinating how bad the product marketing is for most brands/manufacturers. Just a little bit of effort to help describe the benefits of each step up in their lines and a comparison chart would go a long way in helping people decide on the right product for them. While the Yamaha is great, after owning both, I can honestly say the customer centricity and service is quite bad. The units are great if they work as intended, but should you need service and support, you will be directed to a Yamaha-authorized service center (not run by Yamaha), and in my case with an issue on a Yamaha A-S3000, it took a year to get it back with little to no return communication from them when I inquired. So that's something to consider when purchasing!

Thanks for the confirmation. Yes, the S2100 is chock full o' quality parts and build. The S1000 is as well, albeit not to the same level. Too bad the DACs are quite long in the tooth.

I have looked at the Holo May; it gets many great reviews. I currently use the Gustard X26 Pro and find it quite impressive. The new X26 R2R is under consideration, having received a glowing review by SoundNews.

@output555 , I own the s2100 and concur with blisshifi's assessment.

The s2100 has a build quality well beyond their standard big box store units. I use the native output for any 2-channel SACD playback and a Holo Audio May DAC for any redbook playback. The s2100 is an overbuilt built and high quality transport, but the May DAC does provide a wider and more 3D soundstage. Not sure if you are considering used, but TMR Audio has one listed on their site at a fair price. No affiliation.

Thanks for the suggestions, but I am only looking at the Yamahas.

Since you have an external DAC that presumably you enjoy have you considered any dedicated CD transports instead of getting a CD player? In the price range of the Y 2100 there's Simaudio 260DT, Jay's Audio CDT2, and Denafrips Avatar to name a few. Thought here is that you'd be putting the money towards a unit that is maximized .for its sole purpose versus one with effectively a couple of purposes. I have the Sim in my 2nd system . Anyway just a thought , good luck with whatever decision you make.

Thanks very much for the honest and thorough reply.

You have confirmed what I suspected about the S1000's transport: It's the same, but different. Given the significant price difference between the S1000 and the S2100 some compromises would have to be made besides the downgraded DAC. I've looked at photos of the innards of all three players, and there are differences in parts and architecture. The S3000 and S2100 are the more premium, the S1000 somewhat less so. That said, compared to other players in the $1500 price range, the S1000 is built like a tank.

I'm taking your advice and going for the S2100. 

Thanks again!

@output555 In full transparency I am a dealer (and audiophile first) but do not represent or sell Yamaha.  I’ve owned both units but didn’t A/B them to an external DAC, so take this with a grain of salt. 

I’m actually not convinced that the drive trays and transports are all the same in both units, even though they look the same. I know the 2100 has the same transport as the flagship 3000, so there may be some bracing improvements etc that help it to perform better. Also:

1. The 2100 has slightly better cabinet bracing for improved stability and vibration reduction overall. 
2. The 2100 has improved power supplies, and two of them, one dedicated to digital signals and a more robust supply for everything else. This may result in a lower chance of ripples in the current which result in more clarity in the transport’s performance. 
3. The 2100 is considerably newer. Dealing with the 1000 means having a transport that has been manufactured and/or used for 14 years. Yes it looks like the unit can still be purchased new, so that would be your better route if you do go for the 1000.
4. The 2100 has a DPLL function. While the manual states this is in the DAC, it should be tied to the internal clock and not through the DAC stage (I could be wrong but I think the manual just wants to make it easier for people to understand even if not entirely true). Since the only options for digital output are spdif (Toslink and coax), it will use the internal clock of the 2100 and likely keep the DPLL setting, which may add to the snappiness of the sonics. 
5. If you didn’t want to use the digital out, the internal DAC is considerably better, and the 2100 can also be used as a USB DAC on its own. Very useful should you decide to simplify the chain down the road.

If it were up to me, I’d swing for the 2100.