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A phenomenal new CD transport-Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 transport

I have had in-house for the last week Pro-Ject's new CD Box RS2 transport to review for the website Stereo Times. I was very curious to assess its performance because it uses the Pro 8 drive with the Blue Tiger CD-84 servo card. This drive was developed and built by StreamUnlimited a company started by the original Phillips designers that historically built the finest CD mechanisms. Only two other companies use the StreamUnlimited 8 drive and Blue Tiger CD-84 servo card, their pieces cost $16,000 and $39,000 compared to Pro-Ject's sane price of $3,000!

My reference for the last two years has been the excellent Jay's Audio MK-II transport that had out-performed much more expensive highly regarded transports in my system. Well, across every sonic parameter  (transparency/micro-details-overall dynamics/bottom-end extension/purity of tonality- a much more airy sound-stage with wonderful 3D imaging) compared to the Jay's Audio transport.

That's way I titled this thread a "phenomenal new CD transport" because while not inexpensive, it just might be a bargain based on its performance. Mind you, this superlative level of performance is based on using the switching power supply that Pro-Ject ships the transport with. I have shortly coming a custom 20 watt 3 amp linear power supply from Linear Tube Audio and Pro-Ject's own upgraded power supply to see if the RS2 transport performance will even go to a higher qualitative level of performance.

I'll be writing a full detailed review for Stereo Times in the near future. However, I wanted to share this information to GON members who still spin CDs. I have had numerous CD transports in for evaluation and this just might be the best sounding of all of them.

Teajay (Terry London)




amorstereo
disc
108 posts
 
in_shore, the Pro-Ject runs into the DAC of my Boulder 866 via Wireworld Supernova 7 optical or Cerious Graphene Matrix digital coax. I think the coax sounds a bit better, but it's close.  A friend prefers the optical.  

charles1dad, LTA has been great to work with.  The power supply is a great addition to my system and their customer service is fantastic.  The power supply came with an excellent umbilical (the one teajay referred to above).  I asked them to make me a shorter umbilical (one foot).  They had it ready for me in a day or two, which was fantastic, and then graciously declined my offer to pay for it. 
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,230 posts
 
@disc,
Congratulations on acquiring the Pro-Ject transport and thanks for your feedback on it and Linear Tube Audio. . The CD transport’s owner/user database continues to expand and is reassuringly/ exceedingly positive.
Charles
in_shore's avatar
in_shore
596 posts
 
I do have a RS2 T on its way the dealer happened to get one from the distributor apparently wait time for one from the manufacturer is a long one.
Anyway I have a large collection of CDs and I like physical collection has anyone directly compared a well recorded ripped CD off a server to an actual CD played on the RS2 ? 
jaudio1
120 posts
 
I recently picked up the RS2 T and compared it to both ripped AIFF files stored on my Aurender N100H and also streaming Qobuz from the same Aurender.  The RS2 gives a noticeable increase in soundstage depth, transparency, and fine details.  Horns seem to sound more real with less edge when compared ripped files or Qobuz. It's almost like a fine veil being lifted from in front of your speakers.  This is all with the wall wart power supply.  From what I hear I will get even better results by getting the linear power supply from LTA or Pro-Ject.  So to be clear

Pro-Ject RS2 T > Aurender N100H playing stored ripped files > Aurender N100H streaming Qobuz.

  

charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,230 posts
 
@jaudio1, 
Thanks for taking the time to post your listening impressions of the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2T transport in your audio system. I have to delve deeper into the technology and mechanism of this fascinating component.

It is obviously doing something very right to yield such a high level of sound quality from Redbook CD. A cogent argument could be made that the CD transport is as crucial a contributor to the sound quality as is the DAC.
Charles
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