CD Transports


Since CD transports just spin the discs, would I be justified in spending a lot of money on one, or buy a reasonably priced one (both units being well respected), and put the extra money into a more expensive DAC?
daj2832
daj2832 OP


As I said on the other CD transport thread.

"Cambridge Audio CXC is a great transport said to have just 5ps of jitter!! for less than $600 in Australia

Just make sure whatever you buy the laser or the complete laser/mech model no. is made clear and it’s available for less than $100 anywhere, not just from the maker of the CD player. Ebay is a great place to see if it’s readily available NEW!
Here is a great place to see what laser is used, http://vasiltech.narod.ru/CD-Player-DAC-Transport.htm

Cheers George
@curiousjim 

Check this out :   https://www.psaudio.com/askpaul/what-in-the-world-is-i2s/   

Hope it solves your curiosity on the I2S connections ( = I-squared-S ) 

+ 1 @lowrider57   -  on the PSA connects using I2S ports ! 

 I know it may be heresy to admit this , but I have a PSA Nu-Wave phono pre-am and it too has a I2S port that I run into my PSA DAC .  I can do instant A-B comparisons using my Pass Pre-Am ( Analog v Digital ) and actually prefer the digital.  ( use the shortest , newest , HDMI cables for the connections for best results ! ) 

Happy listening to all ! 

Shad 

"Well that may be your opinion but what have you personally compared that transport to? In my experience my old CEC Tl5100Z had a much more musical presentation, bigger and deeper soundstage, with better mid-range for vocals, and instruments. Using a high end Metronome that was over 15 years old was another example of a transport that the Jays CDT was not capable of sounding as good. General statements to me are not that useful unless you have compared different units in the same systems and hopefully more than one system. That helps other people seeking advice to have more knowledge to select a component for their own enjoyment and to understand the differences."

bigkidz

That's a fair point you make. I have compared my Jays Transport to my fellow audiophile buddies who all have high end systems which include DAC's from PS Audio, Esoteric, DCS and Mark Levinson. I am not going to go into details but all agreed the Jays was better in almost every sonic detail from the highs, bass and midrange. It was more musical than the others with more transparency, 3d imaging and smoother.
I assume you bought the Jay's to compare?
Buy a reasonable transport and a Titans Audio Lab Helen, the combo surpasses many high end transports.
Buy this Bel Canto CD2 and pair it with an Empirical Audio Offramp and you'll be good to go for years and years...

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649501384-bel-canto-cd2/