Pro-Ject CD Box DS3 "Redbook" Player

@tweak1 ,

Already done that, and have been keeping up with the reviews since it was released in EU and Asia. Everything I find has nothing but positive things to say about it. Since it's not yet available stateside, the only negatives I've come across are just conjecture.

All the best,
Nonoise

@tweak1 ,

No, I meant the SU-G700M2 integrated.

Please provide some links to these not well received findings. I've yet to encounter any.

All the best,
Nonoise

@charles1dad 

Thanks for the positive attitude. You'd think that at my age I wouldn't be so quick to react, but there's always going to that kid deep inside us. 😄

All the best,
Nonoise

Ah...just got off the phone with Pro-Ject and it looks like it was another shot in the dark as far as my hopes for something that could compete with RS2 CD Box transport. It turns out that the DS3 is just the DS2 with a different DAC and one fewer digital out (no AES).
Once the AKM factory fire happened, they had to go out and source another brand and went with TI and that's about it. Their best advice is to save up the pennies and not be in a hurry. 
Looks like I'm going back to the CEC TL5 for now, if and when Technics gets the SU-G700M2 out for sale stateside. I never liked tempests in teapots. 😄

All the best,
Nonoise

By the way, I came across this,https://www.suos-hifi.com/#

A simple scroll down to the CD- Boards section answers all my questions (chicken/egg) and shows the CD-84 to be an improvement over the CD-80. There’s also a CD-88 and CD-100.

There is no mention of what slot loader is used (the others are metal and plastic trays). Hopefully the slot drive is something new they’ve been working on or at least an improvement over what they’ve been using on the DS2 series.

All the best,
Nonoise

Ah....so. The plot thickens. Pro-Ject makes no mention of it's use on their site except for the DS3. They also categorize it and the both top loaders as "high end" compared to the rest of their line. The DS3 is also said to be a new line with better build quality and CD drive suspension as well.

And yes, I was going to get the CEC TL5 but when I read of the DS3 using the Blue Tiger servo I got the notion it would be ever bit as resolving and musical as the top loader that uses the CD-84 servo. If so (and reviews will hopefully say), then saving over half of the cost of the CEC would be the clincher for me.

If not, then it's back to the CEC TL5. But I have that sneaking suspicion that with the Blue Tiger servo and new firmware to get that bit perfect 1:1 playback with a CD sled dedicated to CD only playback (and not an all purpose one), if it gets within striking distance of the CD-84 Pro, then it's the one I'll go for. 

All the best,
Nonoise

@acresverde , Hey, it’s all good. It’s just that sometimes it can seem a bit confounding with the responses one gets. Hard to decipher intent.

As for whether or not the CD-80 supplanted the CD-84 is up for grabs. I’ve emailed Pro-Ject about that and have yet to hear back from them.

The way they describe it, it’s a 1:1 bit perfect rendering of the CD and that’s not mentioned in any of their other transports or players, save for the CD box RS2 T. This can all be an evolutionary and further development, or it could just be that due to the internal layout being different (top loader vs slot), a new board was required to occupy a different location and something new was worked out.

I also noticed that there are only two player/transports that use the Blue Tiger servos as none of the others mentions the use of them. I would imagine that just the use of them puts them in a higher category.

Time will tell until I hear back form them, but I plan on getting it and hopefully the reviews will address the matter.

All the best,
Nonoise

Our massive aluminum chassis provides the best basis for the CD drive and our BlueTiger CD-80 servo developed by Stream Unlimited is the most advanced on the market. 

That's straight from Pro-Ject's own website, which was the first that I linked to.
It's not until the 3rd review I linked to (in a follow up post) that states "manufacturer" and that copy has unnecessary and incorrectly hyphenated words which can be from a bad translation. In fact, that particular copy with the poorly hyphenated words is used in other publications announcements that came out later. Not all of them, but some.

That is some real nit picking. Does someone have an axe to grind, or what?

All the best,
Nonoise

@acresverde, I really did take the time to read it on several review sites that announced it and I found only two that stated that, after I posted the thread. The first ones I came across didn't state it that way.

I also noticed that some copy didn't seem to translate as well as others which would account for the differences from publication, to publication.

By the way, what crawled up you and died?

All the best,
Nonoise

Just found out it’s going to go for $899, stateside. Relatively speaking, that’s still on the less expensive side. It’s gonna be a long, one month wait to read the reviews.

Here's another review that shows the Servo board and new suspension set up.
Just click on the images and they'll enlarge.

All the best,
Nonoise

Oops! You’re right on that. Had to go back to Pro-Ject’s site and they are different but, that they’re using a Streams Unlimited Blue Tiger Servo could make a difference. Here’s the CDP on their site.

When describing the servo, they say the CD-80 is the most advanced on the market. Does anyone know if this supersedes the CD-Pro 84?

All the best,
Nonoise