Three transport choices, which one?


Theta Data II Universal, EAD T-7000, Proceed CDD.

I have an EAD DSP-7000 DAC feeding a Bedini preamp and amp into Shahinian Diapason speakers. I'm looking to find out which transport would be a good match, but preferably improve the soundtsgaing and transparency. I'm currently using my Proceed CDP as a transport.
tonyptony
Put the Museatex Melior CDD transport. Extremely musical and transparent at the same time.
I have only had one of the three, the T-7000. While
it is really an LD player, it is also a REALLY good
transport. I had it only for a short period of time,
but I was quite amazed at how favorably it compared
to my CEC TL-2. The T-7000 is truly buit like a tank.
The tray can be "troublesome", and many have reported
having this problem. Other than than, and the fact
that it is big, an amazingly good and affordable transport.
Factaudio, I've heard that the Museatex is an okay transport, but only okay, if it is not used with the BIDAT. Can you shed any light on this? Have you heard the Museatex with other DACs? Additional thoughts on its sound would be most welcome.
Jeff, which DAC did you use at the time? I've read reports on Audio Asylum that the T-7000 did not do well in recreating the decay, kind of the "back end" of the notes, and that it was maybe not quite so airy and extended on top. I'd appreciate your comments.
Tony:
I cannot give you a lot of details, as I listened to the T-7000 just briefly. I was using it with an Audio Logic M34DSB DAC, a four-tube DAC. I had sold the T-7000 and was simply testing the CD output as requested. I doubt that I listened for more than 15 minutes...just long enough to be sure of operation. As stated, I normally use a CEC TL2, a very good quality transport, that has very good synergy with the AL DAC. If interested, you can find several threads on this subject. In my testing I was using the ST-Optical connection which I have found to work very well on the AL. While I did not listen seriously, my response was very quick and very certain: "Hey, this is good!"
t 7000 is better than the proceed pdt2 Transport which it replaced then. what you read on asylum doesn't make any sense to me in my experience with the ead 700/7000 combination I had for several years using the AT&T glass connection between them.
Mejames, okay, you've had quite a bit of experience then with this combination. What were the downsides? That is, in what areas of reproduction did it not do so well?

I see you moved to a Wadia. My friend has the same unit, but unmodified, so I've heard the stock 861. How does the stock unit compare to the EAD combo?
Good choices and hard decisions!!! I have had a DSP 7000 with a T1000 and the Theta. The Theta beat it hands down, better bass (apparantly the Theta trademark) and depth. The T1000 was good and imagining was very good, for what I had as a system, at the time. I had sold my Theta to try the T1000 and HAD to go back, and upgraded to a DSP 7000 mk3.

I know you are looking at the T7000, which may be something different altogether. The Theta is very good. I am unfamiliar with the Proceed. YMMV. Good luck and have fun deciding!

Matt
Thanks Matt. I've run across a number of pieces of info suggesting the T-7000 mates with the DSP better than the Proceed transport. So that (for the moment) leaves the Theta. Now I thought the Theta Data Universal and the EAD T-7000 were based on the same Pioneer LD/CD transport. The kicker might be the fact that the T-7000 comes with a glass output. I have an old review from TAS regarding the DSP/T combo, and the feeling there seemed to be that the glass connection was decidedly better. In fact, one of the things they remarked on was the excellent bass retrieval and presentation. I actually tried a T-1000 about 5 years ago. It was good, but not good enough for me to pay for it. I felt the same as you, had kind of a lightweight quality to it.
I just recently bought a Museatex CDD blind. I'm having John Wright mod the back to fit an IEC power cable. It's an older design but I was so happy with the Museatex Bitstream DAC when I auditioned it, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I went after the dedicated Transport or a Theta Basic II. I haven't had a chance to listen to either the Theta or Museatex to be honest, but everybody I've talked to have praised the Museatex as being ultra musical, coupled with the right cable (Moray James recommened) its suppose to be a nice combo.
I'm not sure, I haven't received the transport yet, and I use a Digital coax connection, its a Moray James one, and its a great combo.
Tony downside? Really don't remember any this was like 10 + years ago. The combination was phenomenaly musical. It took the 3k encore pyramid DAC to edge it. This was 7000 dsp mark 2 then. Have recently heard a mark 3 was 85% equal of the Audio Aero Capitol 2 when both were driven by Theta data 3 Transport. that would mean it's about 80% equal the Wadia 861 in my opinion,yes I say the 861 is about 5% better than the Capitol 2 player. About the 1000 transport had one briefly it is nothing like the 7000 transport sonically was very disappointed by it.
Tony
Get a used MLevinson 37.I had a Proceed CDD/DAP and changed first to a 37 and then later on added a 36s.The 37 made a huge improvement,the 36s slight.Want a absolute reference standard transport,used 31 or 31.5.I am very happy with the 37/36s combo....
Good luck
Chris
Proceed CDD going for very low prices now, since Harman discontinued the brand.Still ,an excellent Transport......
The best used transports(Non Super) from the bottom up:
ML 37
CEC TL-1
Sonic Frontiers SFT-1
PSA Lambda/Theta Data Basic 2
Proceed PDT3/Proceed Juke Box
Melior CCD
Everything else.
Tabl10s, I've heard that the Melior CCD really only sounds best if used with the BIDAT, and that without it's still a good (but not as good) transport.
That comes aross as a limitation to me. I tried to operate one once with one hand. I had to use two because it so light that i pushed it around the table. The soft touch pads are'nt so great IMO.