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Considering buying a CD transport

My current disc spinner is a Cambridge Audio 751BD which I'm now mostly (except for SACDs) using as a transport, as I vastly prefer the sound of my Bryston BDA1 DAC to what comes through the CA. Even through the Bryston DAC, CDs can sound shrill. The CA works extremely well for DVDs, Blu-ray discs and SACDs, but I don't think I'm enjoying my rather extensive CD collection as I should. Would a separate transport make enough difference to be worth considering? I've been reading reviews of the Cyrus CDt which are tempting, but I'd like to hear some real-world opinions first. Unfortunately, there are budgetary constraints, so I would like not to exceed about $2K.

The rest of the system: Hegel H200 integrated, Proac Response D2s, REL S2 sub, Clarus Aqua analog interconnects & speaker cables, Nordost coax.
cooper52
aolmrd1241
1,011 posts
 
PS Audio PWT in your price range if interested...No affiliation.

http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649276071-ps-audio-perfect-wave-transport-pwt-in-black-and-in-exc...
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,233 posts
 
Terrific price for a used PWT. 
Charles, 
cardani
160 posts
 
I also have a bryston Dac 1 and use a Roksan Caspian m1 cd player as a transport, the advantage of this cd player is that it has 3 digital outputs AES/EBU, Coax, and toslink.  Imho the the Bryston DAC sounds better through AES/EBU (110 ohm balanced digital). I use a Wireworld gold starlight 5.2 for this, and sounds better than with the Oyaide coax, that I also have connected and can compare on the fly.
cooper52 OP
157 posts
 
I’d like to try this sort of connection, but of course the CA 751BD doesn’t have AES/EBU capability. I’m going to try a comparatively inexpensive upgrade option just as an experiment: Wyred4Sound’s reclocker. Hasn’t arrived yet, but stay tuned...   (My curiosity got the better of me on this one).
marcyun
15 posts
 
This thread has gotten me really interested in a new transport... the Onkyo C-7030 I'm currently using, while serviceable, isn't a world-beater by any means, and understandably sounds inferior to my previous DX-7555 player as a transport. 

I'm not sure I'm willing to go all-out with the PS Audio PWT. Was going to go affordable with the Cambridge CXC, but now considering stepping up to a C.E.C. TL-5 ($2k) as a longer-term investment. They're still made in Japan and I've heard they last forever. Cambridge, OTOH, isn't know for their reliability...

Anyone audition a TL-5 before? I know there are reviews that say the PWT trounces the TL-5100, but then there are reviews stating that the TL-5 trounces the Tl-5100 as a transport, so maybe it is a little closer... not that I put a lot of stock in reviews or anything... :)
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