CD transport recommendations


Old system:
All CDs ripped lossless using dbPowerAmp, and played back using M1Clic streamed from dedicated hard drive. No CD player or other transport.

New System:
Replacing the M1Clic with the Moon 380D w/ balanced and Mind options.

I am thinking I want to add a CD transport to be able to play the occasional CD disc. What transport should I consider to do the 380D justice?

This is a dedicated 2-ch system with Moon preamp, amp. Frey interconnects. Focal 1008 Electra speakers. Shunyata power cords & Hydra alpha. REL 528.
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Showing 6 responses by grannyring

The reason is because properly done computer based audio/transport is more 3D sounding. Every CD player or dac/transport I have owned sounds flat in comparison. The other big area of improvement is less, far less digiital noise. You don't even know its there until it is gone.These are the two big improvements found with properly executed computer based transports. Like turntables however everything matters and to achieve this sound one must read up and be educated.

The improvement was obvious and immediate to me based on my history with traditional digital. I was not a believer in computer based audio and held out mostly out of fear and ignorance to be honest. Well, I decided to stretch myself and the sound on the other sides indeed better, Yes, it takes work and effort and knowledge.

Those who have truly broke through universally experience what I have stated above. It will only continue to get better and better so go,ahead and start learning. A,aging sound and just as amazing convenience.

Transport and CD players still sound wonderful and I love them. I am just saying it as it is.

FYI, yes I have owned or listened to all of the top, most respected players like the top of line Ayre, Cary 306, $8,000 Esoteric, highly modified Sony SACD player etc.....had belt drive transports with very good dacs. Yes, they all sounded wonderful, but they take a back seat to computer based audio done right. I liked the Marantz SA7 and my TRL modified Sony the most for the analog type sound, but not as good as computer audio.

Steve of Empirical Audio can tell you the technical reasons and has done so numerous times in threads here on Agon. Read his stuff and learn. Great stuff and he has put in the hours to become an expert.
Sorry for the typos. Well, I have not tried all top CD players etc....but many top rated ones:-)

Have fun learning and do read Steve's stuff from Empirical Audio.
Get a 2009 Mac Mini and purchase a Mojo Audio power supply for it. Read up on how to optimize it for music only. Also, the Mini should only play music from the SSD drive. I got a 256 SSD drive for it. I paid $1400 total and the combo is killer. Killer!

I use my iPad as a remote and can find and play any song or album in seconds.

Use the Amarra version that Steve at Empirical suggests as it sounds best. It is not the latest release, but an older one.

With a good dac you are in business.
Owned a CEC 51, 5100 and years ago a Panasonic belt drive unit CEC made for them. All sounded very good indeed. They do not however offer the same 3D stage and black background as the best implemented computer based transports.

The times they are a changing!
You could pay $10,000 for a stand alone transport and it will not be as good as today's better and more affordable options. Yes, they will still be very good.