Looking for my "last" CD transport

" Just buy a new cheap DVD player and use its digital output jack into your DAC. Bits are bits - whether they come from a $100 DVD player or a $5000 boutique transport. I guarantee you will hear no difference!"


An annual ear wax removal procedure is recommended so that going forward you can

I can’t guarantee what you’ll hear from any transport but sadly, I’ve found that there are sonic differences when I listen to those in my home connected to the same DAC. My favorite is an older PS Audio PWT, which I don’t think they sell anymore but are available used and PS Audio told me they’d look at mine recently when I thought I had a problem (turns out to be something I could do myself). I have a TASCAM CD player as a back up which feels solid and sounds good too, just not as good as the PWT when used as a transport, ditto an ancient Rotel that refuses to die as a player. As always, YMMV but I don’t buy the "all transports do is deliver the same bits" argument anymore. Wish it was not so.

You don’t need to go crazy on the transport. But if it’s your “last” and money is no object then research the Hegel. 

"Bits are bits"... That is a golden nugget from the 80's. Thing is it wasn't true then either.

In the last five years I have used a few transports & hear a difference with each one.

For example;
Cambridge (their latest) was bright & kind of harsh in my system until I put it on Isoacoustic feet 

Pioneer Stable plater (via one of there elite models) was very nice but still had a slight edge to it. Build quality is excellent.

Woo Audio is the most natural sounding transport I've heard in my system. Lacks some of the detail I get with the Pioneer stable platter though. It will not be my final transport, but is the best all around transport I've heard so far.

Note that all of the above were used with the same DAC (Audio Alchemy's last production model before selling to Elac)

Op, sorry for sidetracking your thread. None of the above are final transports.

Just got my Jay’s, a month ago.  Very impressed...didn’t have to use my imagination to hear the difference.  First disk I played, I was startled....was not expecting that much difference.  And as a previous uniformed poster reported “bit is bits” hasn’t a clue what a precision transport and laser can do.  The Jay’s weight over 30 pounds and it sure isn’t bricks in side. This is not a laser and transport out of a $100 player....