@wharfy I would very much appreciate it if you could post any listening impressions your friend may communicate to you regarding the La Diva Mk. 2. My current transport is now 20 years old (and still performing flawlessly) but I know that time is not on my side. I have the Accustic Arts Drive 1 and their latest reference transport uses the much loved SU CD Pro 8 drive, as does the La Diva, but it’s twice the price of the Aqua so if I have to make a change, by default, the Aqua will be first on my list.
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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The upper tier European manufacturers do seem smitten with the Stream Unlimited CD PRO-8 drive mechanism. It's also favored by Audionet and Gryphon for their CD trabsports. I'm certain that you'd be very happy with the Aqua HiFi La Diva transport. Charles |
@charles1dad I fully expect I would be thrilled with the La Diva. The biggest quandary for me is, knowing that I can get a refurbed CD Pro 2 like the one in my AA drive from ENCO, is the CD Pro 8 that much better to justify the 20x cost to get the Aqua. I do expect it will sound better but <$500 also sounds pretty good compared to approx. $9000. |
@acresverde Your price comparison is unfair, what is the worth of $500 drive by itself? |
When you put it in those terms I understand your dilemma. Certainly the discontinued Philips CD Pro 2 is a CD drive unit that has stood the test of time and was utilized in numerous top shelf transports. You have enjoyed its quality for 20 years so obviously you know its capabilities. On the other hand I don’t believe it is a coincidence that The Stream Unlimited CD PRO-8 has been chosen by top level manufacturers for their upper tier CD transports. If budget is a major criteria then certainly a refurbished Phillips CD is very viable and prudent. Charles |
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