For about a year now, I have owned the Audiolab 6000CDT, and I couldn't be happier with it. It's a very sturdy, revealing machine, and brings out the best (and worst) in all my CDs (over 2500 so far). Streaming for me, is a great tool for finding new music, and if I like it I will try to buy it on CD; physical media is still important to me. Ciao!
Yes you nailed it brother! CD format is the best sounding medium there is today. Even at the age of hi res files and Blu ray audio it still beats it for a great sounding audio medium.
@@mikecruz3902 I wouldn't go that far. CD has come a long way, but its not better than high res for a couple of reasons. First, music on a cd started out as high res. The original recording was done in something like 24/192. After that, the master gets down sampled and transcoded to 16/44. It literally can't be better. Its like a computer running at a certain resolution, and then going into setting and switch it to something lower. And to get there, its a lossy process. What you're probably noticing, is a difference in playback hardware and software. For example, when SACD first came out, I bought a cheap player to start with. (If I remember correctly, it was a Sony 9000ES.). My CD player embarrassed it. It sounded a lot better. But it wasn't because of the format. I was putting it next to a very high end Wadia 861SE, which is literally 10x more expensive. I believe the Sony was about $100, and I know my Wadia was exactly 10k. If you want a real comparison, get a well recorded 2 layer CD/SACD album. Dark Side of the Moon is a good choice. When you listen to it, just go back and forth between the CD layer and the SACD layer. All other factors are now equal, so any differences you hear, has to be formats.
Finally. I just want to say thank you! I've been following your channel for a while now, without having written anything. I have been waiting for a video clip like this. A comparison of CD Transporters. I am the owner of a NuPrime CDT-9, which offers me everything a CD transporter should have. Next to it I own a Technics SL-P999 and a Technics SL-P990 from the 80s, both of which have probably played at least 1 million hours. They are not pure transporters, but they simply didn't exist at that time, but both have the option of real digital output, which was something special at that time in this price category. Regarding the candidates you have suggested: I didn't choose the Cambridge CXC v2 because this model is only available in one colour. It is the typical Cambridge dark grey. A dark grey that always reminds me, to a typical rainy day in UK. Further, it just doesn't fit visually into the black chain. Not even in a silver one. At the time I bought the CD Transporter, the CXC v1 was no longer available and the CXC v2 was not yet available. The Cambridge topic was over. Completely. Sorry Cambridge. Can't quite understand the Cambridge euphoria. Do some people get paid for it? That's the impression I get. Audiolab and Leak use slot-in drives. I have had a few in my hands as a technician in the hobby PC sector. The consequences after years of use were always the same. The CD was no longer ejected. Why ever! The other candidates you presented also include the toploaders. I don't see the advantage here. Since there is hardly any space in my rack and I want to keep cable runs to a minimum, the toploader would be next to the record player. Something just doesn't fit together optically. The nonsense of CEC with the belt? At these speeds? In the long run? In my case, such a unit can play for several hours at a time. Let's leave it at that. Anything else from your candidates are simply no longer financially justifiable for a pure CD transporter. Only the used dCS you mentioned or the Mark Levinson might be suitable. One is from 2003 and the other from 1996, so I'll keep my Technics SL-P99x. They are still running. My absolute price/performance favourite is and remains the NuPrime CDT-9. What many people overlook is the possibility of upsampling from CD 44.1kHz to 768kHz or DoP256. It is also a single speed unit. It always uses the same rotation speed. Absolutely unique in my opinion. The CDT-10 is an excellent alternative with DAC. As DAC I use optionally a Devialet Expert or RME ADI-2 Pro. Thanks again for your comparisons. Please keep up the good work. Please stay safe. Best regards from a subscriber from Bavaria
Really, don't buy the dCS. I've been researching AND testing it, and it's not aging well.... Fantastic stuff you have though! And really cool to have tried all of those units!
"Next to it I own a Technics SL-P999 and a Technics SL-P990 from the 80s, both of which have probably played at least 1 million hours. " at least 🙂 1 Million hours= 1000000 hours 1000000 hours / 24 = 41666 days 41666 days / 365 = 114 years. 2022-114 = 1908 So you are at least 114 years old (congratulations) and spend your hole life (without sleeping) with listening to your Technics SL-P999 and Technics SL-P990 "from the 80s" which means that they were produced between 1880 and 1889.... But hold on - you listened each of them at least 1 mllion hours - so you are at least 228 years old.... ruclips.net/video/SCB03Rh5tlc/видео.html "My absolute price/performance favourite is and remains the NuPrime CDT-9. What many people overlook is the possibility of upsampling from CD 44.1kHz to 768kHz or DoP256. It is also a single speed unit. It always uses the same rotation speed. Absolutely unique in my opinion." Absolutely bullshit - a turntable hast a constant rotation speed - a CD player adjusts its rotation speed from 500 rpm at the beginning of the disc (which is close to the center) to 200 rpm at the end....
Great topic for discussion. I have been blowing this horn for some years now. CD transports are the way to go, so let’s see more of them from all competent manufacturers :)
Thank you for this informative introduction and comparison of CD transports. I would love to see a program introducing the extensive mods that can be done to vintage CD players and how to choose one for upgrade.
Thanks for that video. I‘m happy with my „cheap“ Marantz SA 15 S2 that supports my Luxman 590 Mark2 and I‘m happy too, that in kinds of problems the Marantz service is great also. I don‘t need no transport. I‘m happy how the sound is…. Carry on and best regards from Germany 👍
Very good video about CD Transport, brand's and prices. I use for 35 years my no nonsense simple Philips with magnetic swing arm and it still works like day one. Sometimes he needs a little love and I clean it inside and that's it.
Thank you Guido - you may have cost me still more cash! It is interesting that CD has been largely forgotten, but with a good system (in your video - 'transport) it can still sound good. The idea of a modern DAC is really exciting. I love vinyl but like a lot of other people, I have a pretty good collection of CD and they deserve to remain in my system
One, er two, words. The Shanling ET3. Good Philips mechanism, USB, I2S, AES/EBU, SPIDF, up sampling and dsd conversion if you want it. All for a nudge over $700. I am super excited by this one and would love to try it with my Denafrips Terminator Plus over I2S. Currently I use an Oppo Bdp 83 with an I2S breakout box. This Shanling ticks a lot of boxes. Can't wait for some reviews. That's a hint, right there.
Yes, I don't get it because it's not included in the initial budget list, as the ET3 blows out of the water most of the high budget CD transports listed late. Only that made me stop viewing the video after the three initial budget models. ALL OF YOU: GET A SHANLING ET3 RIGHT AWAY!!!.........end of the story.
I have been using a meridian transport series for decades now, impeccable product this one also does video retailed for about 8 Grand got it for 400 bucks!
Great video! Basically you will need a transport if your CD player cannot handle SACDs or if you want to use an external upgraded higher end DAC with a better less error prone laser reader. I have a 10 years old Oppo BDP5. Recently I have been using Auralic Aries G2.1 streamer connected via USB to a McIntosh D1100 DAC. The oppo with its own DAC alone sounded better than my streaming setup with Tidal and Qobuz. When I connected the oppo via optical to my McIntosh DAC it sounded amazing and best. However I cannot play SACDs for oppo into my McIntosh DAC due to copyright issues. So I ordered a McIntosh MCT 500 transport to connect to my C1100/D1100 combo preamp! Now I have to wait over 7 months for back orders. This is what this video is trying to portray and you did a great job!!!!
I know exactly what you mean. I got a high end CD player with quad days and Digital output built in the 90's I didn't think there was going to be much difference. I was blown away listening to my music CD's after years of streaming. It has to be tried. Worth the effort.
Great video. I also believe in CDs, since I have over 2,000 of them. I have been using the Audiolab CDT until recently after I noticed it is scuffing some of my CDs (many owners have said this as well). It sounds great, but stopped using it. I bought a Rotel RCD-1572 (open box; player not a transport) and it sounds great using my external DACs. I have read reviews from buyers that the Cambridge Audio CXC has issues reading some commercial CDs, so I stayed ways from it. I would love to try the NuPrime or Pirmare models, but they are out of my range. We need more CD transports in the below $1,000 US dollar range. Thanks again for covering this topic
Try finding a SimAudio Moon 260TD it is very reasonable on the used market and is better built than many units that you find today and sounds beautiful with a wide variety of dacs out there from the cheap ones to the uber expensive.
It's an informative video for those that haven't discovered the full potential of CDs, what makes the physical media function, and never taken and interest in what improvements or advances that have been made at the consumer level. Brand new CD playback equipment is still produced but you won't see much in the way of entry-level models (mostly audiophile grade) as people with large collections are willing to spend more for the highest detail/realism. As noted by the host, premium vintage transports/players are a great option since audiophile units built to last made by Mark Levinson, DCS, Theta, Wadia, Esoteric, Krell, and many others available here in the United States. If your wondering why a 20+ year old Mark Levinson still maintains a resale value of $4 to 5k and weighs 50lbs...when you use only the best components available...that's the reason.
Yes vintage ML equipment performs **only if rebuilt and maintained**. I only own Levinson gear 2 332s capacitors/resistors replaced with Cornell, 526, 519, 585 and a of course a 31.5 which required a new optical drive. With CDs and digital music it comes down to a quality DAC.
many thanks my friend for another great video .this was very interesting for me being a cd man since it conception back in 1983 .thanks for doing this video .loved it .yes it will become a niche market for mostly audiophiles .and hopefully the the disks will get better as years go on .thats my prediction .many thanks for this .video 🙂🙂🙂
wowwwwwwwwwww, a reviewer who puts the price right out front!!!! thankssssssssssssss!!!! i love to know the price of audio gear when i am looking at reviews!!! Upvoted!!
I bought a Sony DVD player in 1999 for $500. Once Blu-ray showed up I used the DVD player as my CD player, only playing CD’s on it. After 22 years it started to have tracking problems. So I just bought an $800 Marantz CD player, which in todays money, means they cost about the same. EVERYBODY said I would hear new things with the Marantz that I had never heard before. I was surprised to find this was not true for me, as it sounded no different than the DVD player. I guess the DVD player was far better than the cheap CD players people were used to hearing. The Marantz is a super quite player, but I honestly do not hear a difference through headphones using the same Yamaha amp.
that's becauae there is no real audible difference **shields head for impact**. beyond excessive jitter the transport is digital audio data. no snake oil necessary. 😁 while there could be jitter issues, it isn't even a large difference. while some people might be able to hear it (myself probably included), most people vastly exaggerate the effect. that doesn't mean it might not be worth it to someone to avoid it. but the difference is not obvious or night and day as many claim. the effect it would have is a very slight warping of the sound. it can almost mimic a very slight tape warble if severe enough. but most decent transports are better than people think. that's my 2 cents anyway. go with what you hear and enjoy it. the benefit of a marantz is that you know the specs guarantee you won't be getting poor sound. so peace of mind. and they are well built. and probably have decent warranty. so it's not all a waste...
@@seanivrymusic The thing is, this Marantz comes with a built-in headphone amp. So I am guessing the sound coming out of its headphone jack actually sounds better than the sound coming out of a matching Marantz stereo amps headphone jack. Because the actual amp des not have a dedicated headphone amp in it. Meaning it SHOULD sound better than the old DVD player - unless that player also has a dedicated headphone amp in it.
@@spiritualarchitect4276 if you ad an amp, yes, you open up more variables for sure. the marantz amps are also high spec, well built amps. so other than possibly high impedances output issues, you should be good to go compared to a dvd player that may or may not have a garbage amp or preamp. i have a pioneer elite from 2000 era that I've measured myself and it is superb, but it was also a high end dvd/sacd at the time. most don't fare as well with built in analogue outputs sadly. but it isn't impossible. the difficult part is that most people don't have measuring equipment or even know what to look for in a device... so it stinks that conpanies don't provide more standardized specs that mean something... but a cd transport is much less likely to be audibly bad than any amp/preamp. and even if it is, I'd argue the amp issues would be worse things to hear (hiss, distortion, crosstalk, etc.)
In my book, physical media beats streaming most of the time, and I do both. I have the PS Audio PerfectWave SACD Transport (PST) with DirectStream DAC; it's a great combo, CD playback is outstandingly enjoyable. I also have the Denafrips Terminator Plus DAC, but I haven't yet paired it with the PST. The Jay's Audio CDT2-MK3 Transport has been on my shortlist for a while for one of my other systems. Anyway, it would be interesting to get your take on the PST paired up with your KTE May DAC. We'll have to stay tuned to see what you got.
Dump the very inferior PS Audio. Buy the Jay's or some other superior transport. Even a cheap Denon DVP 1611 with just 2 upgraded power caps (comes with cheap computer quality small caps) and a damping material under the puck (vinyl) with a pigtail for use with high end power cables will reap HUGE rewards. This despite having a cheapo switching power supply. It has an excellent dual stainless steel rail for the transport/laser. Cheap but great.
I very much enjoy this channel. You're a real music lover. I can't stand the audiophile snobbery and bickering on most channels. This channel is all about the music. Thank you.
Still using my old Oppo BDP-83 for CD and most of all, SACD! I use it as a transport with a digital breakout box via HDMI and then out to my Ares II via digital coaxial cable. Still plays like new, sounds fantastic, and it plays movies!
Can't play high-res and DSD (SACD) via SPDIF. It's blocked due to copyright issues. This is why I made I video on how to send high-res over HDMI and I2S: ruclips.net/video/KAqr8MP-in4/видео.html Fortunately now, new DACs are implementing direct HDMI high-res/dsd audio. There are also mods for some Oppo models that free you and let you use spdif.
@@anadialog You can send the DSD over SPIDF with a digital breakout box. I plug the HDMI cable from the Oppo into it and it strips out the DSD signal and sends it via digital coax to my DAC. It has an HDMI output to send the video and audio if playing a DVD to the TV.
@@michaelwright1602 100%, I use the same type of black box from my Oppo's HDMI and then use the Black boxes I2S to go I2S into my Topping D90se. Works perfectly.
Thank you for the video. I agree that spinning CDs is an old-school thing but it produces the best quality music playback/presentation, if done right. I'm using ayon CDT (mk1) + ayon skylla II DAC for my home setup. It's quite decent combo.. 😊
Enjoyed the video! I'm looking at the Cambridge myself or possibly Jay's Audio if going upmarket because of that I2S/AES connection. I also saw an episode of Audiophiliac where they did some light modifications to the Cambridge and that would be kinda neat for me! This will be feeding a denafrips Pontus II dac! Can't wait to see your selection. Also I would be wary of advocating used cd transports as they are notorious for failure of the drive.
Cool...video...I've owned 20-30 cd player's and transports....over the years...Yamaha, McIntosh, Bel-Canto, Micromega, Raysonic, Yaqin,Line-magnetic, to name a few..... nice presentation.... !
Wow, if I had seen this the last few months, that would have saved me a lot of time! I HAVE been looking for a transport/cd player lately. I did audition the dCS Verdi/Delius (DAC)/Verona (clock). It sounded fabulous, IF it read the disc. There are no more replacement transports for it, SACD output is only on firewire I think to another dCS product, and even with a new transport, the software of the rest of the dCS stack (which plays here at home now, just picked it up this afternoon) didn't agree with it. It's still a very good DAC from 2006, and the clock really improves it. Still, I tried the Pro-Ject RS2T CD transport. If I COULD have afforded it, I would have kept it. It looks flimsy, but it REALLY isn't. It's solid aluminium (thick too!), balaned puck, very nice display, carbon fiber internals and in the transport. WOW! Tried a Goldenote Blue Note Stibbert (older type) with better valves (made in Italy!). REALLY REALLY nice! Also a very good DAC inside it. Loved this one! But I bought... First a Philips CD960 (CDM1 transport, which needs new belts now). Basically a Marantz CD94 from 1987. Still works perfectly. Surprisingly good! Through it's TDA1541 DAC and more so through the coax SPDIF. But just not up to the rest of the system.. So I eventually settled on a 1992 Marantz CD11LE (Ken Ishiwata edition). 16 kilo's, front loader, incredible build quality and a CDM4 Pro transport (swing arm, very sturdy). It's DACs (TDA1547) are also surprisingly good, but as a transport with coax out... WOW! A bit brigter than the dCS, but quality wise, honestly, not that far off. The dCS won because it has a BNC wordclock in.. So if I can eventually find a nice transport with BNC wordclock in, that would be great... Oh, it cost 850 euro's, was in very good nick, and I even traded in my Marantz CD63MKII KI edition for 175 euros, so it really was a steal... It does sound a bit bright (as the Mark Levinson) on the dCS Delius, but still, WOW... Thanks for the research and video Guido! Oh, I would also like to see and hear the Jay's Audio unit too. It also uses a vintage Philips transport, but still, people say the Pro-Ject really is better, even using the standard power supply...
I have owned the PS Audio PerfectWave SACD transport and the DirectStream DAC for four weeks now and am absolutely delighted with both units. The resulting three-dimensionality of the sound is astonishing with extraordinary clarity of inner parts and remarkable depth from the best recordings. I'm using the I²S HDMI connections between the two units. I must also add that, using the USB input to the DAC from a laptop, the sound of hi-rez PCM and DSD files is also exceptionally good.
I’ve used my Wadia 581SE CD/SACD player for 10 years now without hassle. A well produced silver disk does sound superior to streamed music without a doubt even though I listen to the latter more often due to convenience.
I have used my DENON DCD2560GL for more than 30 years now and it still is better than latest hyper super duper ultra giga modern ESS Sabre DACs. Maybe it will outperform even your Wadia in CD format of course.
Pioneer Elite dv47A (Used as a Transport) connected to HoloAudio May DAC KTE : Twin-Wave Laser Pickup for CD/Video CD/CD-R/CD-RW playback. Plays Every format: DVD Audio, multi-channel SACD (Super Audio CD), CD, CD-R, and MP3 discs. Mounted to the wall and isolated with REGA - Wall Mount Turntable mount w/ bracket adaptors, CD player sitting on a thick bamboo cutting board.
Nice and usefull video.I agree 100% that Top Drive and good Dac ( no need too much expensive ) are the best HiEnd Solution. Off Course some Philips Transport are absolutly fantastic to read CD for long time,but you forget the most powerfull and amazing Transport all the time that is SONY SACD ( SCD-1 and 777ES model ). I try also Mark Levinson,Wadia,Top Philips,but Sony Transport is another level a head.This in my personal opinion during 40 years testing and listening.Thanks
Agree this is the right moment for buying a CD player! CD are cheapper and sound great. By the way, as you said, transport is key! Moreover, we interact with the Transport, not with DAC , and we all like to touch something beautifull :)
Very helpful video. I'm looking at the NuPrime CDT-8 Pro and the CDT-9. I'm not sure what the major differences would be between the 8 and 9. Can you provide any insights?
Very nice video!!! Soon I'm gonna put together a system. I want to budget the same amount of money for each component 1,500usd luminare dd15. Cd transport. Parasound p6 preamplifier & a pair of ps audio stellar 700 mono blocks. You pair all this together you got a ( killer ) budget system. It's all about system. Synergy. Everything flowing together
I switched from my highly tuned Sony CD-50 ES to computer audio almost 15 years ago and have pushed it to the limit. The next step would have been a top quality ripping system, I probably would have had to re-rip all the CDs. I tested an Audiolab 6000 CDT in my chain and after a few days of playing it was very close to the computer audio. Then I gave him a high quality fuse and power cord, a special CD player isolation transformer and a string system to stand on. Last but not least, I tried other (expensive) digital cables until I found the most consistent and affordable one. Sonically, this is now miles away from my computer audio and there is no going back. We've had our CDs back in the living room for a few years now and love putting CDs in again. Now a Project CD Box RS2 T is planned and then the topic "source" should be settled for us. Up until a few months ago, I couldn't imagine putting in CDs again instead of being able to conveniently access all my music from my listening position using an iPad. Now I realize how many songs I haven't heard in ages because they weren't in my favorites lists. It sounds much more grippy, much more spacious and relaxed. Even really bad recordings can be really fun and we love to listen to CDs again instead of random lists. Thx for the video 😀, greetings from Tom
Thomas, could you specify what cd player isolation transformer and fuse you are referencing? Also, could you indicate which digital cable, you decided on? Have you compares any isolation feet? Thank you for your comments here...Best regards....John
Personally, rather than trusting someone to send it flawlessly and without exceptions or excuses every time I want to listen to it, I like having physical media to own and play. Short of my house burning down, I know it will be available every time I want it.
I got myself TEAC P-700 last year, refresh it completly, tweak it and istall low jitter clock. It's a great cd transport. Metal VRDS with brushless motor.
I agree. I listen to cassettes via my vintage Nakamichi deck and CD's on a vintage Technics player. love it over streaming media. The sounds is so much better!
Ive put them into 3 main categories. Top loaders, slidy drives and slurpy drives. Slidy drives are tray loaders that slide it in and slurpy drives suck it in
Hello from Montreal, I use instead a CD transport an Innuos zen mkiii CD ripper/streamer. Everything in one box, this eliminates the need for a noisy laptop because it has a hard drive for your music storage.The sound quality is amazing and I did compare to higher end CD transports. I have added the Innuos Pheonix reclocker but that improves the streaming function. Then you connect it to an external dac. I would recommend this component it’s future proof and you can rip your friends cds. Take care
Great vid man even though these are all out of my price range it i good to have the info if i happen to get lucky. My current best CD player is a Pioneer Elite PD41 that i managed to get for $10 because it was broken and i brought it back to life. I was drawn to it because of it''s strange disc loader it plays the disc upside down on a little turntable with the laser reading from above. I had NEVER seen that kind of loader and HAD to try it, and WOW do I LOVE IT!!!!! This thing even lets you COMPLETELY disable the DAC when using SPDIF optical or coax, which is DEFINITLY better than the RCA connectors even though it is overbuilt and gold plated ALL the way through audio path even internally where nobody would see it if they skimped lol
"I was drawn to it because of it''s strange disc loader it plays the disc upside down on a little turntable with the laser reading from above. I had NEVER seen that kind of loader " And there is a good reason why you never saw that before - because it does not make sense at all. Even a turntable playing vinyl "upside down" would make more sense...
@@thomaswalder4808Yeah it's a Gimmick but it is FUN one and stable enough the disc doesn't skip from room vibrations and for only $10 (originally cost $499 in the 90's) and sounds good so no downside. BTW do you KNOW the word "FUN" if not you should look it up and try to have some SERIOUSLY
I wonder who the audience is for CD drives like this. My Philips CD 473 from 1987 had a CDM-4 drive and a TDA 1541 DAC and it sounded awesome. I don't remember what it cost, but after correcting for inflation it would probably be less than that $600 drive that's the cheapest in your line-up. I don't have that one anymore but I did buy another one from eBay a while ago that happens to have a CDM 2 mechanism and it sounds just as good. I would be cool with a new CD drive that would have something novel. Maybe one that would work like a record player where you would lift up the laser arm and put it on top of the CD or something. Other than that: I could make one of these from an old CD-ROM drive and a microcontroller, and I would be willing to do double-blind tests to prove that you can't hear the difference with the $300,000 player. Oh and one more thing. Do these drives at least output the full SPDIF signal with P and Q subchannels, so that a digital audio recorder or DCC recorder can automatically record track markers? Because in recent years, that seems to be something that hardware manufacturers have completely lost interest in.
@@rods6405 The CDP-102 has separate data demodulation, RAM, digital filter, DAC, and low pass filter chips. Both channels are processed by the same chip up to the DAC, which has two analog outputs. The analog filter section has discrete op amp chips for each channel.
For my audio system , i use an gold Pioneer pds 06 as a CD Transport and i link to a dac smsl m400 ( chipset akm 4499) with coaxial output. It IS Amazing the difference .
Two to mention. Luxman, as a brand and the D10x is the latest top of the line from Luxman. I had and enjoyed the D06u for a while. Today my crown is the Audio Research Ref CD9. It’s a quad DAC with 2x DAC’s per channel and fully tube power and output stages. It’s marvelous - transparent lively and the best DAC and CD player I’ve had, better than my earlier Esoteric K03Xs player.
Very cool. I didn't understand what transports were used for until now. I thought that high end CD players already had a by-pass option to the external dac, since digital either passes or doesn't. However, I already ripped my cd collection to wav. Since I started doing that a long time ago, I used windows media player. Do you know if that software is going to make errors in mint condition cds? I tried comparing files ripped in WMP and Foobar and audacity didn't notice any differences. Thank you for all your work. Best regards from Portugal.
There are always mistakes and always error correction. In some cases it's impossible to notice while in some quality and dynamic recordings it becomes more evident.
@@anadialog "In some cases it's impossible to notice" In most cases the error correction could fix any read errors in a perfect way - so the digital output is exactly as it should be and therefore it is not possible to notice any difference.
I love CDs and I love vinyl. My perspective is very simple. Artists get next to nothing from streams so from a support standpoint, I’d rather go physical copy even if I’m losing 3% or more somewhere in audio quality. Anyhoo…The Jay’s pieces are fantastic and could be the best balance between extreme quality and value although far from budget. They sound incredible and they have my favorite top loading system. They’ve been making their boxes for 20 years now and they believe in the CD format. Save your allowance and stop buying expensive coffee and it’s possible. They can be had for around $1,800 if you really search. Furthermore, the Audiolabs are solid too for the price although some folks talk about scratching, I’ve never experienced it myself. I do prefer the drawer of the Cambridge over the slot loader but it doesn’t always inspire confidence. The Leak looks interesting but not my cup of tea aesthetically. And while the very esoteric transports are unique in their own way I’d imagine the laws of diminishing return start to set in at some point. Unfortunately I’ve seen a number of the PS Audio transports for sale so that makes me think but who knows. Fun video man!
I have had mine now for a couple of years and have been impressed with the quality of the unit, first had it feeding a Bryston BDA 3 dac and now with an Audionote 4.1x Signature dac and both sounded great.
I'm just using an old Marantz DV3002 DVD player as a CD transport. It has a coax RCA out and optical toslink out, so I've connected it to my DAC. That way, I can use my cheap DVD player as a CD transport, but benefit of the quality sound of my DAC. The biggest problem today is that most CD transports and players use a cheap generic CD laser mechanism. Unless you go for a high-end CD player/transport, you're likely buying a cheap laser mechanism inside a fancy box. Always look for pictures of the inside before buying a fancy CD player or transport - that way you know what you're paying for. If you want a good CD transport with a good CD mechanism, I would recommend the Pro-Ject CD BOX RS2T - it's all you'll ever need - spend the rest of your money on the DAC.
Thanks. And these compare to download the digital signal on an NAS via a Macbook+Superdrive, the stored FLAC files then go to the streamer and amp (with DAC somewhere around) ?
I had an Oppo UDP-103 for the longest time but I wanted to get a dedicated CD transport, so I got the Cambridge CXC version 1 which served me for quite a while as well but it started getting finicky with reading less-than-pristine discs, and then it stopped reading them altogether. I sprung fior the Audiolab CDT 3000 because everyone raved about it but I missed the full sound of my CXC so I got the CXC version 2 and so I am happy again. .
Great video. I recently purchased the Cambridge Audio CXC V2 and I love it. If anyone is looking for this model then keep an eye out for Cambridge's eBay store. They sell it refurbished for $350.
@@JohnSmith-zl8rz I currently use a Denafrips Ares II Dac and Magnepan MMGi speakers. It is also paired with a Yamaha AS801 Amplifier and Martin Logan Dynamo 300 Sub. I enjoy the sound I get especially the wide soundstage.
Go for the Jay's audio CDT2-MKIII it is amazing!!! Holographic sound stage, perfect and stable imaging , each instrument is perfectly in focus!!! Only one word, amazing. I tried many cd player and transport, the Jay's audio CDT2-MKIII is my Reference
I have the Audiolab cd6000cdt transport. It's great 👍 👌 It's a slot loading mechanism with a strong Lazer that will play cds with light scratches. It will play some cds that won't play in my stock car stereo.
I have it too. It will play CDs with light scratches. But it also produces light scratches/permanent surface stripes. Many owners report this in the forums, and mine does too. Someone suggested in a forum post that it helps to lift the CD, ever so slightly, when pulling it out of the slot. Could be.
@@CM-dw3gh Yes, unfortunately it's true. I have tried 3 different Audiolab 6000CDTs and every one scratched my CDs to some degree. It's really strange, because it seems to only happen with certain CDs, while other discs were loaded & ejected several times with no scratches at all. So I don't know if it has to do with each disc's unique plastic outer layer, or what. But it has happened with pristine, brand new CDs. Check the forums, or even Amazon reviews, and you'll see photos of exactly what I've experienced. It looks like a hair comb scratched a row of parallel lines a few millimeters long, perpendicular to the edge of the CD. It's subtle, and you have to hold the disc at an angle in the light to truly see it. But it's there, and my CDs are too valuable to me to let this happen. You will find many forum users that say their CDs aren't getting scratched. If that's true, they are lucky. But I wonder if they're checking every CD that comes out of the Audiolab's slot loader like I did. I tried disc loading several different ways -- straight in, slightly lifted up or down, and never forcing it at all. Didn't matter, results were the same: new scratches. I wondered if the damage occurs while loading or ejecting, because it can require a little effort to get the mechanism to let go of the disc during ejection. So I did a few tests loading a CD with the label's typography parallel to the slot. Sure enough, when I ejected it, the disc had spun around and came out in a different position, but the scratches were in line with the label. I think the loading is the problem, not the ejecting. It's a shame too, because as others have said, this is by far the BEST sounding transport or player I've ever had. I'm comparing it directly with a NAD and Cambridge Audio. It's hard to believe they couldn't get the slot loader to work better. I've used slot loading players in car stereos, computers, and gaming systems for years and NEVER experienced any scratches.
I have a Oppo 203 which I use for both Blue Ray video via HDMI out and for CD via SPDIF which by passes the internal DAC. How would one know if a dedicated CD Transport performs better sonic performance over my Oppo?
Hello, very educational. For my system because of price the best match I would go with the Nuprime. I have two budget priced Dac:s = Arcam irDac with a Sbooster liner power supply & a Denafrips Aris II
I am not an expert, but I’m with you on this subject, I thought that the memory cache would be vitality important in the reproduction of music, in that it would filter out any imperfections.
That requires ROM mechanisms. They are not optimized for CD reading, the laser beam is different, they are less accurate, in fact they read read and read. The best IMO is Redbook design. No fusion solutions which bring to use low quality components like rom drives.
it's not only comparable, but very easily beaten. I sold my Dragon CD-system for an Audio Research CD-7 which was far superior. Then sold the ARC for a much better sounding Metronome transport/DAC. Then the Metronome was surpassed by a NAGRA CDP, then I sold the NAGRA for an even better sounding Gryphon Scorpio.
Thanks for this, good review. What I missed is the comment for use of a CD Transport for ripping data to a HDD or SSD. Jitter and all the related clock issues are less of a prob then.
I am not a ripping expert. Actually I like to use CDs, but I think that a high quality cd-rom by pioneer for example can do the trick at a fraction of the price
Take a look at the SL-P1200 .. mine is in Italy at the moment being restored... just watched this video... I miss it so much.. hopefully next month will be back :)
IMO, there is no question that the sound of a quality recording on CD played on a high-quality CD player presents a better sound compared to the finest streaming service like Qobuz fed to a high-quality DAC/Streamer. Then we step up to analog reproduction on vinyl records. I have owned a Wadia CD player for over 20 years now and the sound is still just wonderful. I’m still waiting for DSD to really become the standard before I upgrade. So far this does not seem to be happening at a fast pace. Great presentation Guido!
I'd say: you'd better hold on to the Wadia, as they are fantastic and might become really expensive when people are going to look for older gems.... I will.........
@@erwindewit4073 Especially when the pioneer Drive is no longer available. Both Paul McGowan and Nelson Pass had Wadias in their systems. Nelson‘s drive went dead and he couldn’t find a replacement. Paul came out with his own PS Audio transport so his Wadia disappeared from his office videos.
@@erwindewit4073 The three that I’m trying to return are not hybrid even though they were recorded by Mark Levinson and the first recording was a hybrid which I bought many years ago from Mark. Should’ve asked the question before I made the purchase but these are so hard to find I just jumped at them.
Does an expensive vs cheap transport really matter? I mean its all digital and either works or not.1s and 0s. Seems the dac and speakers matter the most. Analog is a different story where components affect sound quality. Even vibration affects sound. Regarding physical media, yes there is more date resolution BUT if you have mid grade speakers a 256 to 300 kbps aac file will sound great.
🤗😎THANKS GUIDO…FOR EXPLAINING THE DIFFERENCE 🧐 AND THE BENEFITS for those in the market for a CD TRANSPORT 🤷♂️myself on a budget replaced mine with a SONY UBP-X 800 M2 for under $200 and my friend who has an OPPO … Prefers it and was 😟 sad … he could not believe that it was better 🤦♂️ but don’t tell anyone else 🤫😉😍😍😍
I have a MOON amp and I am very happy with it: I thought I would replace my old Cyrus CD player with the MOON 260, which came out just a few years ago. I would have thought wonderful for 2600 pounds (about 3000 dollars)
I have a Rotel RDD-980 CD transport and it's matching DAC the RDP-980. Although they both date from around 1997 they are a formidable combination. Just more musical than their modern counterparts and, dare I say it, more analogue.
For many years I was a Mark Levinson dealer, back when they were incredibly high end and successful. In the mid 90's their reference CD transport was the No. 31, $8,000. The reference DAC was the No. 30 at $17,000. Those are mid-late 90's prices so who knows what they would be today. Hard to imagine that some couldn't justify $26,000 for a CD player but some customers wanted to only do one of the two Reference pieces and all believed the big DAC with the lesser transport, the No. 37 was the way to go even though the price tag was higher than going the other way. I convinced everyone that the best transport with the lesser DAC at $8,000 clearly outperformed going the other direction. That was my wake up call for how important the transport is. I use the next step up Jay's these days.
Great video…I own an audiolab 6000CDT…It does do gapless playback. I play Pink Floyd’s The Wall and it plays it as it should play. Gapless. My DAC is a Denafrips Ares 2. The combination is great and the price is perfect for my budget. Update: I have 1 week with a Holo Audio Spring 3. The 6000CDT upscales with a better DAC. Powerful bass, imaging, soundstage are excellent. I am wondering now what a “better” transport with I2s sounds like. I do not have a dedicated room nor is it treated with panels. Still sound is amazing. I know sound will improve with a bigger room.
I also have the 6000CDT. I have never heard CD sound this good. It matches well with the DAC in the 6000A Play (used as a preamp). For the price, it’s a huge win for me.
I own 2 of the Audiolabs 6000 CDT Transport , In my Reference room I use my Burson Composer Dac with the A.L. and it sounds great ! And the Burson allows me to op-amp roll up to 4x Dual discrete op-amps The Sparkos SS3602 is my favorite also use audioquest power cable 😆 , But my eye has been on the Jays Audio Mk3 Transport but pricey
DVD players is great as a transport. Coz even though CDs with scratches it can read well unlike those expensive CD players like a Cambridge for example even if you play original pressed CDs though it can also hardly play cdrs it won't play CDs with scratches.
When you mentioned the price difference between Europe and North America for CEC products. Mutine was a longtime Montreal based distributor/seller of CEC. The owner of Mutine dropped CEC because the price increase a few years back effectively doubled the price of the CEC line up.
I'm seriously bummed to find how only the most expensive transport has a word clock input - implementation isn't all that expensive, and synchronization greatly improves digital playback.
I had ripped all my CDs/SACDs and bought an excellent DAC/Streamer. I was convinced this was the best way to go for convenience and sound. Then someone recommend the PS Audio Perfectwave SACD Transport (PST) to me, so I got one on their 30-day trial program to try it out. I was shocked on how much better my CDs sounded direct from the disc than hearing it on my streamer. The PST was a keeper for me. Now I only use the streamer for Qobuz to listen to new music or something I do not have.
I had the Cambridge CXC a little while back, a good player but I hated the dim display. I just purchased the Audiolab and just love it. I find streaming Tidal to be quite inferior to my CDT6000/Hegel dac combo.
I'm personally mostly looking at second hand stuff from the 90s, because I just like the stuff from that area. And you get very high-end stuff for a reasonable price. The best sound is obviously when you just rip them and use a DAC
@@erwindewit4073 No, he's right. I've been using a highly regarded Arcam FMJ player with amazing DAC and dual-mono power supply for many years. HDCD capable too. Hooking up an external DAC of modern design via optical or coax has been a revelation. I get the same quality when hooking up a DAP with lossless files ripped from those same discs.
@@MX-S Well, I tried many setups before, and most of the time, the streamer solution loses. Not in easy of use, but simply in sound quality. The best effect was a streamer / DAC combo connected through i2s or using an external clock of really high quality. But then again, the SACD transport connected to the same clock sounded better.. To me, a transport should always lose, but my experience tells me a different story.... Perhaps try a (very) good transport and put the side by side using your fabulous DAC?
@@erwindewit4073 I will try it. I'll be getting a transport soon. My Arcam recently developed a failing laser. Will probably go with Audiolab. I just wish modern DACs still supported HDCD. Almost none do, so most are limited to analog outs of older players.
@@MX-S Really? I didn't know that! I don't think my vintage Marantz will play them (I know of only one of my CD's it is HDCD, even though it's not stated anywhere). Pitty though. And well, analogue output of the Marantz is good, but not compared to the Naim DAC and CERTAINLY not to the dCS.. ;)
The Audiolab CDT plays gapless. I just ordered one. You freaked me out. I looked into it. You are mistaken. It would be a horrible product if its only job was to spin Redbook CDs and it couldn't even do that correctly. Not trying to give you a hard time. Love your channel, just trying to clear up misinformation for others in the market for it.
No problem, thanks for confirming that the problem has been solved. Don't know about the past models. Here you acm se an example of people discussing about this: www.avforums.com/threads/audiolab-6000a-play-integrated-streaming-amplifier-review-comments.2322580/
thank you for the video! I have a question. If one of my CDs is available on Apple Music Lossless, and I am connected to a good DAC, would the CD transport have any advantage over it? I mean, the function of the CD transport is the correct reading and transfer of the data, right? Are there gaps on reading/transfer data from my Mac to the DAC? thanks!
That is one of the main point at stake. According to several and in most cases I agree, a good CD played on a good player or transport with a high quality DAC is superior to quality streaming.
Apparently, if you live in Japan (like me!), you can find the C.E.C. Tl5 for 96,630yen (under $1000). At that price point, it's arguably the winner in terms of cost/performance.
@@edwardlee6848 Looking at both the Japanese and English text on the website, the answer seems sadly to be no. www.cec-web.co.jp/service/download/document/catalog/TL5_ENG_Catalog_w.pdf
Without a doubt for the price of some of those units they really should support SACD playback as well. Not just playing the CD layer, the actual DSD layer for that kind of money.
I wouldn't buy a Transport with all the other modes like SACD, etc. I would buy something like Denafrips, Jays, and few others' that play exclusively Redbook CD's. I believe quality has to be compromised when you put so many things under the hood!
@@eugeneniemierzycki6490 Depends on the manufacturer. My current Onkyo DVD player supports SACD and the result is brilliant on DVD audio, SACD and CD. I'd also like it to play Blu-ray audio for all the hi-res albums coming out in that format also. Your only concern should be the DAC's and amp topology used. If those are selected correctly by the manufacturer(and the good manufacturers will actually brag about them in the specs) you will find no compromise on sound quality whatsoever. The sadly no longer available Oppo players were solid proof of this, as were a lot of the Yamaha Blu-ray players. Alas, it's becoming rare to find all on ones as streaming is killing the demand for physical medi players full stop. For the majority of listeners MP3(yuck) seems to be just fine. For me, I don't want 4 diddicated players floating around. With Laserdisc player, record player, DVD player and a hifi Blu-ray player, I already get picked on for having to many playback devices, adding another 3 players to have all dedicated would be a bit much and possibly have my partner phoning for the rubber room.
For about a year now, I have owned the Audiolab 6000CDT, and I couldn't be happier with it. It's a very sturdy, revealing machine, and brings out the best (and worst) in all my CDs (over 2500 so far). Streaming for me, is a great tool for finding new music, and if I like it I will try to buy it on CD; physical media is still important to me. Ciao!
Yes you nailed it brother! CD format is the best sounding medium there is today. Even at the age of hi res files and Blu ray audio it still beats it for a great sounding audio medium.
@@mikecruz3902 I wouldn't go that far. CD has come a long way, but its not better than high res for a couple of reasons. First, music on a cd started out as high res. The original recording was done in something like 24/192. After that, the master gets down sampled and transcoded to 16/44. It literally can't be better. Its like a computer running at a certain resolution, and then going into setting and switch it to something lower. And to get there, its a lossy process.
What you're probably noticing, is a difference in playback hardware and software. For example, when SACD first came out, I bought a cheap player to start with. (If I remember correctly, it was a Sony 9000ES.). My CD player embarrassed it. It sounded a lot better. But it wasn't because of the format. I was putting it next to a very high end Wadia 861SE, which is literally 10x more expensive. I believe the Sony was about $100, and I know my Wadia was exactly 10k.
If you want a real comparison, get a well recorded 2 layer CD/SACD album. Dark Side of the Moon is a good choice. When you listen to it, just go back and forth between the CD layer and the SACD layer. All other factors are now equal, so any differences you hear, has to be formats.
The stupid slot loading mechanism was scratching my CDs. Sent it back after 1 day.
@@tinytownsoftware3837 You’re lying to us or yourself
@@Uygkuyfkutfkytfkutfv I am lying to myself that the slot loading was scratching brand new discs I put in? Lol, Ok.
Finally. I just want to say thank you! I've been following your channel for a while now, without having written anything.
I have been waiting for a video clip like this. A comparison of CD Transporters. I am the owner of a NuPrime CDT-9, which offers me everything a CD transporter should have.
Next to it I own a Technics SL-P999 and a Technics SL-P990 from the 80s, both of which have probably played at least 1 million hours. They are not pure transporters, but they simply didn't exist at that time, but both have the option of real digital output, which was something special at that time in this price category.
Regarding the candidates you have suggested:
I didn't choose the Cambridge CXC v2 because this model is only available in one colour. It is the typical Cambridge dark grey. A dark grey that always reminds me, to a typical rainy day in UK. Further, it just doesn't fit visually into the black chain. Not even in a silver one. At the time I bought the CD Transporter, the CXC v1 was no longer available and the CXC v2 was not yet available. The Cambridge topic was over. Completely. Sorry Cambridge.
Can't quite understand the Cambridge euphoria. Do some people get paid for it? That's the impression I get.
Audiolab and Leak use slot-in drives. I have had a few in my hands as a technician in the hobby PC sector. The consequences after years of use were always the same.
The CD was no longer ejected. Why ever! The other candidates you presented also include the toploaders. I don't see the advantage here.
Since there is hardly any space in my rack and I want to keep cable runs to a minimum, the toploader would be next to the record player. Something just doesn't fit together optically.
The nonsense of CEC with the belt? At these speeds? In the long run? In my case, such a unit can play for several hours at a time. Let's leave it at that. Anything else from your candidates are simply no longer financially justifiable for a pure CD transporter. Only the used dCS you mentioned or the Mark Levinson might be suitable.
One is from 2003 and the other from 1996, so I'll keep my Technics SL-P99x. They are still running.
My absolute price/performance favourite is and remains the NuPrime CDT-9.
What many people overlook is the possibility of upsampling from CD 44.1kHz to 768kHz or DoP256. It is also a single speed unit. It always uses the same rotation speed. Absolutely unique in my opinion. The CDT-10 is an excellent alternative with DAC. As DAC I use optionally a Devialet Expert or RME ADI-2 Pro.
Thanks again for your comparisons. Please keep up the good work. Please stay safe. Best regards from a subscriber from Bavaria
Really, don't buy the dCS. I've been researching AND testing it, and it's not aging well.... Fantastic stuff you have though! And really cool to have tried all of those units!
i have the slp 999 as well. just wondering how it compares against current similar offerings ?
"Next to it I own a Technics SL-P999 and a Technics SL-P990 from the 80s, both of which have probably played at least 1 million hours. "
at least 🙂
1 Million hours= 1000000 hours
1000000 hours / 24 = 41666 days
41666 days / 365 = 114 years.
2022-114 = 1908
So you are at least 114 years old (congratulations) and spend your hole life (without sleeping) with listening to your Technics SL-P999 and Technics SL-P990 "from the 80s" which means that they were produced between 1880 and 1889....
But hold on - you listened each of them at least 1 mllion hours - so you are at least 228 years old....
ruclips.net/video/SCB03Rh5tlc/видео.html
"My absolute price/performance favourite is and remains the NuPrime CDT-9.
What many people overlook is the possibility of upsampling from CD 44.1kHz to 768kHz or DoP256. It is also a single speed unit. It always uses the same rotation speed. Absolutely unique in my opinion."
Absolutely bullshit - a turntable hast a constant rotation speed - a CD player adjusts its rotation speed from 500 rpm at the beginning of the disc (which is close to the center) to 200 rpm at the end....
Great topic for discussion. I have been blowing this horn for some years now. CD transports are the way to go, so let’s see more of them from all competent manufacturers :)
Thank you for this informative introduction and comparison of CD transports. I would love to see a program introducing the extensive mods that can be done to vintage CD players and how to choose one for upgrade.
take a look at: ruclips.net/video/rQ2_EVI0CnE/видео.html
This is the best CD transport guide on youtube! Only thing missing is Primare series, such as DD35.
Thanks for that video. I‘m happy with my „cheap“ Marantz SA 15 S2 that supports my Luxman 590 Mark2 and I‘m happy too, that in kinds of problems the Marantz service is great also. I don‘t need no transport. I‘m happy how the sound is…. Carry on and best regards from Germany 👍
Very good video about CD Transport, brand's and prices. I use for 35 years my no nonsense simple Philips with magnetic swing arm and it still works like day one. Sometimes he needs a little love and I clean it inside and that's it.
Which Philips model do you have?
Then you should know that new transports and DACs are just overprized copies of the old masters Philips, Sony and teac-tascam!!@
Hello ladies and gangsters! Trust your ears, and do not listen to hifi frauds!
Thank you Guido - you may have cost me still more cash!
It is interesting that CD has been largely forgotten, but with a good system (in your video - 'transport) it can still sound good. The idea of a modern DAC is really exciting. I love vinyl but like a lot of other people, I have a pretty good collection of CD and they deserve to remain in my system
Absolutely!
One, er two, words. The Shanling ET3. Good Philips mechanism, USB, I2S, AES/EBU, SPIDF, up sampling and dsd conversion if you want it. All for a nudge over $700.
I am super excited by this one and would love to try it with my Denafrips Terminator Plus over I2S. Currently I use an Oppo Bdp 83 with an I2S breakout box.
This Shanling ticks a lot of boxes. Can't wait for some reviews. That's a hint, right there.
Yes, I don't get it because it's not included in the initial budget list, as the ET3 blows out of the water most of the high budget CD transports listed late. Only that made me stop viewing the video after the three initial budget models. ALL OF YOU: GET A SHANLING ET3 RIGHT AWAY!!!.........end of the story.
I have been using a meridian transport series for decades now, impeccable product this one also does video retailed for about 8 Grand got it for 400 bucks!
Great video! Basically you will need a transport if your CD player cannot handle SACDs or if you want to use an external upgraded higher end DAC with a better less error prone laser reader. I have a 10 years old Oppo BDP5. Recently I have been using Auralic Aries G2.1 streamer connected via USB to a McIntosh D1100 DAC. The oppo with its own DAC alone sounded better than my streaming setup with Tidal and Qobuz. When I connected the oppo via optical to my McIntosh DAC it sounded amazing and best. However I cannot play SACDs for oppo into my McIntosh DAC due to copyright issues. So I ordered a McIntosh MCT 500 transport to connect to my C1100/D1100 combo preamp! Now I have to wait over 7 months for back orders. This is what this video is trying to portray and you did a great job!!!!
Nice! Remember that you can use your Oppo with a I2s DAC and listen to all high-res media!
I know exactly what you mean. I got a high end CD player with quad days and Digital output built in the 90's I didn't think there was going to be much difference. I was blown away listening to my music CD's after years of streaming. It has to be tried. Worth the effort.
Great video. I also believe in CDs, since I have over 2,000 of them. I have been using the Audiolab CDT until recently after I noticed it is scuffing some of my CDs (many owners have said this as well). It sounds great, but stopped using it. I bought a Rotel RCD-1572 (open box; player not a transport) and it sounds great using my external DACs. I have read reviews from buyers that the Cambridge Audio CXC has issues reading some commercial CDs, so I stayed ways from it. I would love to try the NuPrime or Pirmare models, but they are out of my range. We need more CD transports in the below $1,000 US dollar range. Thanks again for covering this topic
Try finding a SimAudio Moon 260TD it is very reasonable on the used market and is better built than many units that you find today and sounds beautiful with a wide variety of dacs out there from the cheap ones to the uber expensive.
@@edleifer6719 Thank YOU! Never thought of that. I saw one already used for sale.
It's an informative video for those that haven't discovered the full potential of CDs, what makes the physical media function, and never taken and interest in what improvements or advances that have been made at the consumer level. Brand new CD playback equipment is still produced but you won't see much in the way of entry-level models (mostly audiophile grade) as people with large collections are willing to spend more for the highest detail/realism. As noted by the host, premium vintage transports/players are a great option since audiophile units built to last made by Mark Levinson, DCS, Theta, Wadia, Esoteric, Krell, and many others available here in the United States. If your wondering why a 20+ year old Mark Levinson still maintains a resale value of $4 to 5k and weighs 50lbs...when you use only the best components available...that's the reason.
Yes vintage ML equipment performs **only if rebuilt and maintained**. I only own Levinson gear 2 332s capacitors/resistors replaced with Cornell, 526, 519, 585 and a of course a 31.5 which required a new optical drive. With CDs and digital music it comes down to a quality DAC.
Sorry, you have been infected by very dangerous hifi virus! No medicine or snakeoil can cure you!
many thanks my friend for another great video .this was very interesting for me being a cd man since it conception back in 1983 .thanks for doing this video .loved it .yes it will become a niche market for mostly audiophiles .and hopefully the the disks will get better as years go on .thats my prediction .many thanks for this .video 🙂🙂🙂
wowwwwwwwwwww, a reviewer who puts the price right out front!!!! thankssssssssssssss!!!! i love to know the price of audio gear when i am looking at reviews!!! Upvoted!!
Many people who pay big many are known to stress that
I bought a Sony DVD player in 1999 for $500. Once Blu-ray showed up I used the DVD player as my CD player, only playing CD’s on it. After 22 years it started to have tracking problems. So I just bought an $800 Marantz CD player, which in todays money, means they cost about the same. EVERYBODY said I would hear new things with the Marantz that I had never heard before. I was surprised to find this was not true for me, as it sounded no different than the DVD player. I guess the DVD player was far better than the cheap CD players people were used to hearing. The Marantz is a super quite player, but I honestly do not hear a difference through headphones using the same Yamaha amp.
that's becauae there is no real audible difference **shields head for impact**. beyond excessive jitter the transport is digital audio data. no snake oil necessary. 😁 while there could be jitter issues, it isn't even a large difference. while some people might be able to hear it (myself probably included), most people vastly exaggerate the effect. that doesn't mean it might not be worth it to someone to avoid it. but the difference is not obvious or night and day as many claim.
the effect it would have is a very slight warping of the sound. it can almost mimic a very slight tape warble if severe enough. but most decent transports are better than people think. that's my 2 cents anyway. go with what you hear and enjoy it. the benefit of a marantz is that you know the specs guarantee you won't be getting poor sound. so peace of mind. and they are well built. and probably have decent warranty. so it's not all a waste...
@@seanivrymusic The thing is, this Marantz comes with a built-in headphone amp. So I am guessing the sound coming out of its headphone jack actually sounds better than the sound coming out of a matching Marantz stereo amps headphone jack. Because the actual amp des not have a dedicated headphone amp in it. Meaning it SHOULD sound better than the old DVD player - unless that player also has a dedicated headphone amp in it.
@@spiritualarchitect4276 if you ad an amp, yes, you open up more variables for sure. the marantz amps are also high spec, well built amps. so other than possibly high impedances output issues, you should be good to go compared to a dvd player that may or may not have a garbage amp or preamp. i have a pioneer elite from 2000 era that I've measured myself and it is superb, but it was also a high end dvd/sacd at the time. most don't fare as well with built in analogue outputs sadly. but it isn't impossible. the difficult part is that most people don't have measuring equipment or even know what to look for in a device... so it stinks that conpanies don't provide more standardized specs that mean something...
but a cd transport is much less likely to be audibly bad than any amp/preamp. and even if it is, I'd argue the amp issues would be worse things to hear (hiss, distortion, crosstalk, etc.)
In my book, physical media beats streaming most of the time, and I do both. I have the PS Audio PerfectWave SACD Transport (PST) with DirectStream DAC; it's a great combo, CD playback is outstandingly enjoyable. I also have the Denafrips Terminator Plus DAC, but I haven't yet paired it with the PST. The Jay's Audio CDT2-MK3 Transport has been on my shortlist for a while for one of my other systems.
Anyway, it would be interesting to get your take on the PST paired up with your KTE May DAC. We'll have to stay tuned to see what you got.
Dump the very inferior PS Audio. Buy the Jay's or some other superior transport. Even a cheap Denon DVP 1611 with just 2 upgraded power caps (comes with cheap computer quality small caps) and a damping material under the puck (vinyl) with a pigtail for use with high end power cables will reap HUGE rewards. This despite having a cheapo switching power supply. It has an excellent dual stainless steel rail for the transport/laser. Cheap but great.
I very much enjoy this channel. You're a real music lover. I can't stand the audiophile snobbery and bickering on most channels. This channel is all about the music. Thank you.
This makes my heart sing! Thank YOU Martin!
Still using my old Oppo BDP-83 for CD and most of all, SACD! I use it as a transport with a digital breakout box via HDMI and then out to my Ares II via digital coaxial cable. Still plays like new, sounds fantastic, and it plays movies!
Can't play high-res and DSD (SACD) via SPDIF. It's blocked due to copyright issues. This is why I made I video on how to send high-res over HDMI and I2S:
ruclips.net/video/KAqr8MP-in4/видео.html
Fortunately now, new DACs are implementing direct HDMI high-res/dsd audio. There are also mods for some Oppo models that free you and let you use spdif.
@@anadialog You can send the DSD over SPIDF with a digital breakout box. I plug the HDMI cable from the Oppo into it and it strips out the DSD signal and sends it via digital coax to my DAC. It has an HDMI output to send the video and audio if playing a DVD to the TV.
@@michaelwright1602 100%, I use the same type of black box from my Oppo's HDMI and then use the Black boxes I2S to go I2S into my Topping D90se. Works perfectly.
Jay’s Audio transports are hard to beat for high end vfm and build quality.
Thank you for the video. I agree that spinning CDs is an old-school thing but it produces the best quality music playback/presentation, if done right. I'm using ayon CDT (mk1) + ayon skylla II DAC for my home setup. It's quite decent combo.. 😊
Ayon is on my top list! Congrats!
I bought a Cambridge CD transport awhile ago, and when I first heard it was amazed. A lot better than my OPPO, playing through a Burr brown. Very nice
Hi! What oppo do you have? I am thinking about selling mine and getting the cambridge cxc v2... Thanks
@@fabianquiros9397 I have the 203, bought it the month it came out. Can't stand the thought of it dying
Enjoyed the video! I'm looking at the Cambridge myself or possibly Jay's Audio if going upmarket because of that I2S/AES connection. I also saw an episode of Audiophiliac where they did some light modifications to the Cambridge and that would be kinda neat for me! This will be feeding a denafrips Pontus II dac! Can't wait to see your selection.
Also I would be wary of advocating used cd transports as they are notorious for failure of the drive.
Honestly, if your going to try the Jay's Audio, try the Pro-Ject as well. You will be surprised at HOW good it sounds......
Cool...video...I've owned 20-30 cd player's and transports....over the years...Yamaha, McIntosh, Bel-Canto, Micromega, Raysonic, Yaqin,Line-magnetic, to name a few..... nice presentation.... !
Wow!
Wow, if I had seen this the last few months, that would have saved me a lot of time! I HAVE been looking for a transport/cd player lately. I did audition the dCS Verdi/Delius (DAC)/Verona (clock). It sounded fabulous, IF it read the disc. There are no more replacement transports for it, SACD output is only on firewire I think to another dCS product, and even with a new transport, the software of the rest of the dCS stack (which plays here at home now, just picked it up this afternoon) didn't agree with it. It's still a very good DAC from 2006, and the clock really improves it.
Still, I tried the Pro-Ject RS2T CD transport. If I COULD have afforded it, I would have kept it. It looks flimsy, but it REALLY isn't. It's solid aluminium (thick too!), balaned puck, very nice display, carbon fiber internals and in the transport. WOW!
Tried a Goldenote Blue Note Stibbert (older type) with better valves (made in Italy!). REALLY REALLY nice! Also a very good DAC inside it. Loved this one!
But I bought... First a Philips CD960 (CDM1 transport, which needs new belts now). Basically a Marantz CD94 from 1987. Still works perfectly. Surprisingly good! Through it's TDA1541 DAC and more so through the coax SPDIF. But just not up to the rest of the system..
So I eventually settled on a 1992 Marantz CD11LE (Ken Ishiwata edition). 16 kilo's, front loader, incredible build quality and a CDM4 Pro transport (swing arm, very sturdy). It's DACs (TDA1547) are also surprisingly good, but as a transport with coax out... WOW! A bit brigter than the dCS, but quality wise, honestly, not that far off. The dCS won because it has a BNC wordclock in.. So if I can eventually find a nice transport with BNC wordclock in, that would be great... Oh, it cost 850 euro's, was in very good nick, and I even traded in my Marantz CD63MKII KI edition for 175 euros, so it really was a steal... It does sound a bit bright (as the Mark Levinson) on the dCS Delius, but still, WOW...
Thanks for the research and video Guido! Oh, I would also like to see and hear the Jay's Audio unit too. It also uses a vintage Philips transport, but still, people say the Pro-Ject really is better, even using the standard power supply...
Thanks you for sharing your experience!
I loved my Pioneer Elite PD-65 as both a player and transport. I dunno but there was just a certain something special about its presentation
I have owned the PS Audio PerfectWave SACD transport and the DirectStream DAC for four weeks now and am absolutely delighted with both units. The resulting three-dimensionality of the sound is astonishing with extraordinary clarity of inner parts and remarkable depth from the best recordings. I'm using the I²S HDMI connections between the two units. I must also add that, using the USB input to the DAC from a laptop, the sound of hi-rez PCM and DSD files is also exceptionally good.
$8,999 is a joke?
@@JohnSmith-zl8rz Each to his own.
PS audio is generally not recommended among audiophiles. It's very expensive and doesn't measure particularly well in bench tests.
Wish you added the Primare DD15 and/or DD35; would have fitted nicely in that series. I own the DD15; it’s extremely well built and über-reliable.
Там стоят плохие дешёвые транспорты от теас за 50$😢
I’ve used my Wadia 581SE CD/SACD player for 10 years now without hassle. A well produced silver disk does sound superior to streamed music without a doubt even though I listen to the latter more often due to convenience.
I have used my DENON DCD2560GL for more than 30 years now and it still is better than latest hyper super duper ultra giga modern ESS Sabre DACs. Maybe it will outperform even your Wadia in CD format of course.
Pioneer Elite dv47A (Used as a Transport) connected to HoloAudio May DAC KTE : Twin-Wave Laser Pickup for CD/Video CD/CD-R/CD-RW playback. Plays Every format: DVD Audio, multi-channel SACD (Super Audio CD), CD, CD-R, and MP3 discs. Mounted to the wall and isolated with REGA - Wall Mount Turntable mount w/ bracket adaptors, CD player sitting on a thick bamboo cutting board.
Nice and usefull video.I agree 100% that Top Drive and good Dac ( no need too much expensive ) are the best HiEnd Solution.
Off Course some Philips Transport are absolutly fantastic to read CD for long time,but you forget the most powerfull and amazing Transport all the time that is SONY SACD ( SCD-1 and 777ES model ). I try also Mark Levinson,Wadia,Top Philips,but Sony Transport is another level a head.This in my personal opinion during 40 years testing and listening.Thanks
Agree this is the right moment for buying a CD player! CD are cheapper and sound great. By the way, as you said, transport is key! Moreover, we interact with the Transport, not with DAC , and we all like to touch something beautifull :)
Indeed!
Thanks for the video love my Audiolab CDT6000 and it is gapless lol
The Audio Analogue AADrive is excellent and beautiful. The remote too, is a masterpiece.
They make them close to my home!
Very helpful video. I'm looking at the NuPrime CDT-8 Pro and the CDT-9. I'm not sure what the major differences would be between the 8 and 9. Can you provide any insights?
You forgot to mention the Philips CDM9! BTW great channel. Congrats for your work!
ive gone with the aodiolab 6000a cdt ,brillant love it
Great! Can you confirm that the gapless problem is solved? You need a CD with no pause between tracks to make sure.
Very nice video!!! Soon I'm gonna put together a system. I want to budget the same amount of money for each component 1,500usd luminare dd15. Cd transport. Parasound p6 preamplifier & a pair of ps audio stellar 700 mono blocks. You pair all this together you got a ( killer ) budget system. It's all about system. Synergy. Everything flowing together
I switched from my highly tuned Sony CD-50 ES to computer audio almost 15 years ago and have pushed it to the limit. The next step would have been a top quality ripping system, I probably would have had to re-rip all the CDs. I tested an Audiolab 6000 CDT in my chain and after a few days of playing it was very close to the computer audio. Then I gave him a high quality fuse and power cord, a special CD player isolation transformer and a string system to stand on. Last but not least, I tried other (expensive) digital cables until I found the most consistent and affordable one. Sonically, this is now miles away from my computer audio and there is no going back. We've had our CDs back in the living room for a few years now and love putting CDs in again. Now a Project CD Box RS2 T is planned and then the topic "source" should be settled for us. Up until a few months ago, I couldn't imagine putting in CDs again instead of being able to conveniently access all my music from my listening position using an iPad. Now I realize how many songs I haven't heard in ages because they weren't in my favorites lists. It sounds much more grippy, much more spacious and relaxed. Even really bad recordings can be really fun and we love to listen to CDs again instead of random lists. Thx for the video 😀, greetings from Tom
Interesting! Thanks for sharing that!
Hi,
what does „ a special CD Player Isolation Transformer „ exactly mean?
Thomas, could you specify what cd player isolation transformer and fuse you are referencing? Also, could you indicate which digital cable, you decided on? Have you compares any isolation feet? Thank you for your comments here...Best regards....John
"top quality ripping system" lmao sir are you aware that jitter doesn't get saved into the ripped file?
After a year, how is the RS2T compared to the 6000CDT, and have you tried the 9000CDT (and Marantz CD50n)?
Personally, rather than trusting someone to send it flawlessly and without exceptions or excuses every time I want to listen to it, I like having physical media to own and play. Short of my house burning down, I know it will be available every time I want it.
I got myself TEAC P-700 last year, refresh it completly, tweak it and istall low jitter clock. It's a great cd transport. Metal VRDS with brushless motor.
Niiice!
I agree. I listen to cassettes via my vintage Nakamichi deck and CD's on a vintage Technics player. love it over streaming media. The sounds is so much better!
Ive put them into 3 main categories. Top loaders, slidy drives and slurpy drives.
Slidy drives are tray loaders that slide it in and slurpy drives suck it in
You sir are a true word smith .
Hello from Montreal, I use instead a CD transport an Innuos zen mkiii CD ripper/streamer. Everything in one box, this eliminates the need for a noisy laptop because it has a hard drive for your music storage.The sound quality is amazing and I did compare to higher end CD transports. I have added the Innuos Pheonix reclocker but that improves the streaming function. Then you connect it to an external dac. I would recommend this component it’s future proof and you can rip your friends cds. Take care
I’m using a Pioneer DV 563a DVD player to play my CDs and they sound great.
Great vid man even though these are all out of my price range it i good to have the info if i happen to get lucky. My current best CD player is a Pioneer Elite PD41 that i managed to get for $10 because it was broken and i brought it back to life. I was drawn to it because of it''s strange disc loader it plays the disc upside down on a little turntable with the laser reading from above. I had NEVER seen that kind of loader and HAD to try it, and WOW do I LOVE IT!!!!! This thing even lets you COMPLETELY disable the DAC when using SPDIF optical or coax, which is DEFINITLY better than the RCA connectors even though it is overbuilt and gold plated ALL the way through audio path even internally where nobody would see it if they skimped lol
The elite line had great stuff, hold on to it tight!
@@anadialog will do ; D
"I was drawn to it because of it''s strange disc loader it plays the disc upside down on a little turntable with the laser reading from above. I had NEVER seen that kind of loader "
And there is a good reason why you never saw that before - because it does not make sense at all. Even a turntable playing vinyl "upside down" would make more sense...
@@thomaswalder4808Yeah it's a Gimmick but it is FUN one and stable enough the disc doesn't skip from room vibrations and for only $10 (originally cost $499 in the 90's) and sounds good so no downside. BTW do you KNOW the word "FUN" if not you should look it up and try to have some SERIOUSLY
Good video my friend, thanks.
Thank YOU!
I wonder who the audience is for CD drives like this. My Philips CD 473 from 1987 had a CDM-4 drive and a TDA 1541 DAC and it sounded awesome. I don't remember what it cost, but after correcting for inflation it would probably be less than that $600 drive that's the cheapest in your line-up. I don't have that one anymore but I did buy another one from eBay a while ago that happens to have a CDM 2 mechanism and it sounds just as good.
I would be cool with a new CD drive that would have something novel. Maybe one that would work like a record player where you would lift up the laser arm and put it on top of the CD or something. Other than that: I could make one of these from an old CD-ROM drive and a microcontroller, and I would be willing to do double-blind tests to prove that you can't hear the difference with the $300,000 player.
Oh and one more thing. Do these drives at least output the full SPDIF signal with P and Q subchannels, so that a digital audio recorder or DCC recorder can automatically record track markers? Because in recent years, that seems to be something that hardware manufacturers have completely lost interest in.
I do have a Sont CDP 302....Sounds amazing!And the transport?One of the best ever built!!!
I have a CDP-102 and NAD 1020A preamp from 1985. I'll put them up against anything made today.
@@MrKentaroMotoPI CPD102 only had single DAC!
@@rods6405 The CDP-102 has separate data demodulation, RAM, digital filter, DAC, and low pass filter chips. Both channels are processed by the same chip up to the DAC, which has two analog outputs. The analog filter section has discrete op amp chips for each channel.
For my audio system , i use an gold Pioneer pds 06 as a CD Transport and i link to a dac smsl m400 ( chipset akm 4499) with coaxial output. It IS Amazing the difference .
Two to mention. Luxman, as a brand and the D10x is the latest top of the line from Luxman. I had and enjoyed the D06u for a while.
Today my crown is the Audio Research Ref CD9. It’s a quad DAC with 2x DAC’s per channel and fully tube power and output stages. It’s marvelous - transparent lively and the best DAC and CD player I’ve had, better than my earlier Esoteric K03Xs player.
You know that this is all about transports, not players. No DAC.
Very cool. I didn't understand what transports were used for until now. I thought that high end CD players already had a by-pass option to the external dac, since digital either passes or doesn't. However, I already ripped my cd collection to wav. Since I started doing that a long time ago, I used windows media player. Do you know if that software is going to make errors in mint condition cds? I tried comparing files ripped in WMP and Foobar and audacity didn't notice any differences. Thank you for all your work. Best regards from Portugal.
There are always mistakes and always error correction. In some cases it's impossible to notice while in some quality and dynamic recordings it becomes more evident.
@@anadialog "In some cases it's impossible to notice"
In most cases the error correction could fix any read errors in a perfect way - so the digital output is exactly as it should be and therefore it is not possible to notice any difference.
I have the tl5 cd transport. Its superb sounding
I love CDs and I love vinyl. My perspective is very simple. Artists get next to nothing from streams so from a support standpoint, I’d rather go physical copy even if I’m losing 3% or more somewhere in audio quality.
Anyhoo…The Jay’s pieces are fantastic and could be the best balance between extreme quality and value although far from budget. They sound incredible and they have my favorite top loading system. They’ve been making their boxes for 20 years now and they believe in the CD format. Save your allowance and stop buying expensive coffee and it’s possible. They can be had for around $1,800 if you really search.
Furthermore, the Audiolabs are solid too for the price although some folks talk about scratching, I’ve never experienced it myself.
I do prefer the drawer of the Cambridge over the slot loader but it doesn’t always inspire confidence.
The Leak looks interesting but not my cup of tea aesthetically.
And while the very esoteric transports are unique in their own way I’d imagine the laws of diminishing return start to set in at some point. Unfortunately I’ve seen a number of the PS Audio transports for sale so that makes me think but who knows.
Fun video man!
Simaudio Neo 260D transport is superb. It’s available with or without an internal DAC.
Completely agree...I have one too.
@@jc325 Mine too, with my NAD M33.
I have had mine now for a couple of years and have been impressed with the quality of the unit, first had it feeding a Bryston BDA 3 dac and now with an Audionote 4.1x Signature dac and both sounded great.
@@edleifer6719 Thanks, good to hear...happy listening!
I recently picked up a OPDV971H for $6.50 and Oppo BDP 83 for $17 at goodwill. Both work and in excellent condition. Hope they serve me well.
Thank you for presenting this list, it is really helpful.
Thank YOU!
I'm just using an old Marantz DV3002 DVD player as a CD transport.
It has a coax RCA out and optical toslink out, so I've connected it to my DAC.
That way, I can use my cheap DVD player as a CD transport, but benefit of the quality sound of my DAC.
The biggest problem today is that most CD transports and players use a cheap generic CD laser mechanism.
Unless you go for a high-end CD player/transport, you're likely buying a cheap laser mechanism inside a fancy box.
Always look for pictures of the inside before buying a fancy CD player or transport - that way you know what you're paying for.
If you want a good CD transport with a good CD mechanism, I would recommend the Pro-Ject CD BOX RS2T - it's all you'll ever need - spend the rest of your money on the DAC.
I have an old mode emotiva ERC 3 which is a player/transport, great single solution. It’s internal dac is amazing as well
Check out the Jay's CDT3 Mk3, they've really raised their game to a new level.
Yes, I saw. Specs and build seem much better!
@@anadialog CHINA - what happens when they go out of business????
Thanks. And these compare to download the digital signal on an NAS via a Macbook+Superdrive, the stored FLAC files then go to the streamer and amp (with DAC somewhere around) ?
I had an Oppo UDP-103 for the longest time but I wanted to get a dedicated CD transport, so I got the Cambridge CXC version 1 which served me for quite a while as well but it started getting finicky with reading less-than-pristine discs, and then it stopped reading them altogether. I sprung fior the Audiolab CDT 3000 because everyone raved about it but I missed the full sound of my CXC so I got the CXC version 2 and so I am happy again. .
is the version two of the CXC more stable at reading discs regardless of scratches?
still happy w the CXC v2?
The CEC TL5 belt driven transport (non-eBay) shocked me at how good transports can be.
Hi... why are you in brackets on Ebay, there are not high-quality cec tl5 sold there...
@mikmak102 I have heard they are copies not actual CEC.
Great video. I recently purchased the Cambridge Audio CXC V2 and I love it. If anyone is looking for this model then keep an eye out for Cambridge's eBay store. They sell it refurbished for $350.
fine choice. i use a cambridge audio cxu as i have a lot of music on bd and hi=res discs
Which DAC and speakers you use with?
Is not risky buy it refurb?
@@JohnSmith-zl8rz It was refurbished and sold by the company Cambridge audio themselves. I've owned it about a year now and have no issues.
@@JohnSmith-zl8rz I currently use a Denafrips Ares II Dac and Magnepan MMGi speakers. It is also paired with a Yamaha AS801 Amplifier and Martin Logan Dynamo 300 Sub. I enjoy the sound I get especially the wide soundstage.
Don't you think the Cyrus CD-t is missing from this? I have it after 2 years and sounds amazing to me together with Chord Qutest DAC.
II2S.-------> Digital to Digital Reclocker-------->DAC --------->Balanced XLR outputs-----------> = Audio excellence.....You are spot on.
Go for the Jay's audio CDT2-MKIII it is amazing!!! Holographic sound stage, perfect and stable imaging , each instrument is perfectly in focus!!! Only one word, amazing. I tried many cd player and transport, the Jay's audio CDT2-MKIII is my Reference
In factbitbwas my choice...but not good enough: ruclips.net/video/E2KknBrceRc/видео.html
I have the Audiolab cd6000cdt transport. It's great 👍 👌 It's a slot loading mechanism with a strong Lazer that will play cds with light scratches. It will play some cds that won't play in my stock car stereo.
the best transport for its price
I have it too. It will play CDs with light scratches. But it also produces light scratches/permanent surface stripes. Many owners report this in the forums, and mine does too. Someone suggested in a forum post that it helps to lift the CD, ever so slightly, when pulling it out of the slot. Could be.
@@terjemyller6573 jesus. Thats really put me off. Has anyone else on this thread noticed the same? Be interested to know
@@CM-dw3gh Yes, unfortunately it's true. I have tried 3 different Audiolab 6000CDTs and every one scratched my CDs to some degree. It's really strange, because it seems to only happen with certain CDs, while other discs were loaded & ejected several times with no scratches at all. So I don't know if it has to do with each disc's unique plastic outer layer, or what. But it has happened with pristine, brand new CDs. Check the forums, or even Amazon reviews, and you'll see photos of exactly what I've experienced. It looks like a hair comb scratched a row of parallel lines a few millimeters long, perpendicular to the edge of the CD. It's subtle, and you have to hold the disc at an angle in the light to truly see it. But it's there, and my CDs are too valuable to me to let this happen. You will find many forum users that say their CDs aren't getting scratched. If that's true, they are lucky. But I wonder if they're checking every CD that comes out of the Audiolab's slot loader like I did. I tried disc loading several different ways -- straight in, slightly lifted up or down, and never forcing it at all. Didn't matter, results were the same: new scratches. I wondered if the damage occurs while loading or ejecting, because it can require a little effort to get the mechanism to let go of the disc during ejection. So I did a few tests loading a CD with the label's typography parallel to the slot. Sure enough, when I ejected it, the disc had spun around and came out in a different position, but the scratches were in line with the label. I think the loading is the problem, not the ejecting. It's a shame too, because as others have said, this is by far the BEST sounding transport or player I've ever had. I'm comparing it directly with a NAD and Cambridge Audio. It's hard to believe they couldn't get the slot loader to work better. I've used slot loading players in car stereos, computers, and gaming systems for years and NEVER experienced any scratches.
@@nightflightinc does it play only gapless too? This is what I've heard but just want to see from an owners perspective.
I have a Oppo 203 which I use for both Blue Ray video via HDMI out and for CD via SPDIF which by passes the internal DAC. How would one know if a dedicated CD Transport performs better sonic performance over my Oppo?
Hello, very educational. For my system because of price the best match I would go with the Nuprime. I have two budget priced Dac:s = Arcam irDac with a Sbooster liner power supply & a Denafrips Aris II
Did you go for the Nuprime? Good experience? Similarly enough, I am running my systems with Ares 2 and Irdac 2 :D
I enjoyed this overview, but was surprised there wasn’t more discussion on the benefits of a memory cache. Any thoughts?
I am not an expert, but I’m with you on this subject, I thought that the memory cache would be vitality important in the reproduction of music, in that it would filter out any imperfections.
That requires ROM mechanisms. They are not optimized for CD reading, the laser beam is different, they are less accurate, in fact they read read and read. The best IMO is Redbook design. No fusion solutions which bring to use low quality components like rom drives.
The Nakamichi Dragon 7 CD changer/transport in combination with its matching DAC is incomparable.
Nakamichi made only around 200 of these
it's not only comparable, but very easily beaten. I sold my Dragon CD-system for an Audio Research CD-7 which was far superior. Then sold the ARC for a much better sounding Metronome transport/DAC. Then the Metronome was surpassed by a NAGRA CDP, then I sold the NAGRA for an even better sounding Gryphon Scorpio.
@@Shrebina-kq4cs looks like you have more money than common sense
Thanks for this, good review. What I missed is the comment for use of a CD Transport for ripping data to a HDD or SSD. Jitter and all the related clock issues are less of a prob then.
I am not a ripping expert. Actually I like to use CDs, but I think that a high quality cd-rom by pioneer for example can do the trick at a fraction of the price
Take a look at the SL-P1200 .. mine is in Italy at the moment being restored... just watched this video... I miss it so much.. hopefully next month will be back :)
IMO, there is no question that the sound of a quality recording on CD played on a high-quality CD player presents a better sound compared to the finest streaming service like Qobuz fed to a high-quality DAC/Streamer. Then we step up to analog reproduction on vinyl records.
I have owned a Wadia CD player for over 20 years now and the sound is still just wonderful. I’m still waiting for DSD to really become the standard before I upgrade. So far this does not seem to be happening at a fast pace.
Great presentation Guido!
I'd say: you'd better hold on to the Wadia, as they are fantastic and might become really expensive when people are going to look for older gems.... I will.........
@@erwindewit4073 Especially when the pioneer Drive is no longer available. Both Paul McGowan and Nelson Pass had Wadias in their systems. Nelson‘s drive went dead and he couldn’t find a replacement. Paul came out with his own PS Audio transport so his Wadia disappeared from his office videos.
@Nicholas exactly what I’ve been doing. If I ever wind up purchasing an SACD I can use that layer
@@stimpy1226 funny, I have a couple of CDs from Dead Can Dance that turned out to be hybrid SACDs! I just don’t have a player that can play those..
@@erwindewit4073 The three that I’m trying to return are not hybrid even though they were recorded by Mark Levinson and the first recording was a hybrid which I bought many years ago from Mark. Should’ve asked the question before I made the purchase but these are so hard to find I just jumped at them.
Does an expensive vs cheap transport really matter? I mean its all digital and either works or not.1s and 0s. Seems the dac and speakers matter the most. Analog is a different story where components affect sound quality. Even vibration affects sound. Regarding physical media, yes there is more date resolution BUT if you have mid grade speakers a 256 to 300 kbps aac file will sound great.
No difference no
Big differens
🤗😎THANKS GUIDO…FOR EXPLAINING THE DIFFERENCE 🧐 AND THE BENEFITS for those in the market for a CD TRANSPORT
🤷♂️myself on a budget replaced mine with a SONY UBP-X 800 M2 for under $200 and my friend who has an OPPO … Prefers it and was 😟 sad … he could not believe that it was better 🤦♂️ but don’t tell anyone else 🤫😉😍😍😍
I have a MOON amp and I am very happy with it: I thought I would replace my old Cyrus CD player with the MOON 260, which came out just a few years ago. I would have thought wonderful for 2600 pounds (about 3000 dollars)
I have a Rotel RDD-980 CD transport and it's matching DAC the RDP-980. Although they both date from around 1997 they are a formidable combination. Just more musical than their modern counterparts and, dare I say it, more analogue.
sorry but I had to put 1 like
I ripped all of my thousands of CDs to WAV files. I don't know if it sounds better than a transport to a holo may, but I think they sound great.
Out of curiosity: how do you access & play them?
@@sdrtcacgnrjrc I used to use JRiver, and now I use Roon. I ripped them with JRiver.
@@tebbywafer1665 thanks. Looking to do the same so curious how others do it
I have the Cambridge Audio, which I love!
For many years I was a Mark Levinson dealer, back when they were incredibly high end and successful. In the mid 90's their reference CD transport was the No. 31, $8,000. The reference DAC was the No. 30 at $17,000. Those are mid-late 90's prices so who knows what they would be today. Hard to imagine that some couldn't justify $26,000 for a CD player but some customers wanted to only do one of the two Reference pieces and all believed the big DAC with the lesser transport, the No. 37 was the way to go even though the price tag was higher than going the other way. I convinced everyone that the best transport with the lesser DAC at $8,000 clearly outperformed going the other direction. That was my wake up call for how important the transport is. I use the next step up Jay's these days.
Great video…I own an audiolab 6000CDT…It does do gapless playback. I play Pink Floyd’s The Wall and it plays it as it should play. Gapless. My DAC is a Denafrips Ares 2. The combination is great and the price is perfect for my budget.
Update: I have 1 week with a Holo Audio Spring 3. The 6000CDT upscales with a better DAC. Powerful bass, imaging, soundstage are excellent.
I am wondering now what a “better” transport with I2s sounds like. I do not have a dedicated room nor is it treated with panels. Still sound is amazing. I know sound will improve with a bigger room.
Glad to hear that! I hope older models are also working know...anyone can confirm this?
I also have the 6000CDT. I have never heard CD sound this good. It matches well with the DAC in the 6000A Play (used as a preamp). For the price, it’s a huge win for me.
I own 2 of the Audiolabs 6000 CDT Transport , In my Reference room I use my Burson Composer Dac with the A.L. and it sounds great ! And the Burson allows me to op-amp roll up to
4x Dual discrete op-amps The Sparkos SS3602 is my favorite also use audioquest power cable 😆
, But my eye has been on the Jays Audio Mk3 Transport but pricey
I have the same setup and am quite happy with it.
More than happy with my Audiolab CDT9000, great build, easy to use with excellent sound, can't see me needing an upgrade anytime soon
DVD players is great as a transport. Coz even though CDs with scratches it can read well unlike those expensive CD players like a Cambridge for example even if you play original pressed CDs though it can also hardly play cdrs it won't play CDs with scratches.
very poor clock stability in DVD
@@johnholmes912nope
Also worth mentioning are the expensive transports by Accustic Arts from Germany and my "local" TX2 Reference Transport from emm Labs in Canada!
Indeed!
When you mentioned the price difference between Europe and North America for CEC products. Mutine was a longtime Montreal based distributor/seller of CEC. The owner of Mutine dropped CEC because the price increase a few years back effectively doubled the price of the CEC line up.
I'm seriously bummed to find how only the most expensive transport has a word clock input - implementation isn't all that expensive, and synchronization greatly improves digital playback.
the Audiolab CDT 6000 has a buffer and is terrific especially at ~ $620-700
@@roberthart9886 "the Audiolab CDT 6000 has a buffer "
EVERY CD player has a buffer
I had ripped all my CDs/SACDs and bought an excellent DAC/Streamer. I was convinced this was the best way to go for convenience and sound. Then someone recommend the PS Audio Perfectwave SACD Transport (PST) to me, so I got one on their 30-day trial program to try it out. I was shocked on how much better my CDs sounded direct from the disc than hearing it on my streamer. The PST was a keeper for me. Now I only use the streamer for Qobuz to listen to new music or something I do not have.
That's it man...I understand people who don't believe but I appreciate who takes time and experiments, good job!
Try audiophile streamer!
for $8,999 ??? lol, no thank you
@@JohnSmith-zl8rz What was $8,999? I did not pay anywhere near that much.
@@pfcompany885 I have an audiophile level streamer.
I have a Denon DJ DN-CD6000 CD player which I use as a transport, what do you think.
I had the Cambridge CXC a little while back, a good player but I hated the dim display. I just purchased the Audiolab and just love it. I find streaming Tidal to be quite inferior to my CDT6000/Hegel dac combo.
Thanks for your feedback
I'm personally mostly looking at second hand stuff from the 90s, because I just like the stuff from that area. And you get very high-end stuff for a reasonable price.
The best sound is obviously when you just rip them and use a DAC
Eh no? Very obviously not if you actually try it... ;) Marantz CD players from the 90s are great! CD94MKII, CD12(LE), CD11LE, CD7....
@@erwindewit4073 No, he's right. I've been using a highly regarded Arcam FMJ player with amazing DAC and dual-mono power supply for many years. HDCD capable too. Hooking up an external DAC of modern design via optical or coax has been a revelation. I get the same quality when hooking up a DAP with lossless files ripped from those same discs.
@@MX-S Well, I tried many setups before, and most of the time, the streamer solution loses. Not in easy of use, but simply in sound quality. The best effect was a streamer / DAC combo connected through i2s or using an external clock of really high quality. But then again, the SACD transport connected to the same clock sounded better.. To me, a transport should always lose, but my experience tells me a different story.... Perhaps try a (very) good transport and put the side by side using your fabulous DAC?
@@erwindewit4073 I will try it. I'll be getting a transport soon. My Arcam recently developed a failing laser. Will probably go with Audiolab. I just wish modern DACs still supported HDCD. Almost none do, so most are limited to analog outs of older players.
@@MX-S Really? I didn't know that! I don't think my vintage Marantz will play them (I know of only one of my CD's it is HDCD, even though it's not stated anywhere). Pitty though. And well, analogue output of the Marantz is good, but not compared to the Naim DAC and CERTAINLY not to the dCS.. ;)
The Audiolab CDT plays gapless. I just ordered one. You freaked me out. I looked into it. You are mistaken. It would be a horrible product if its only job was to spin Redbook CDs and it couldn't even do that correctly. Not trying to give you a hard time. Love your channel, just trying to clear up misinformation for others in the market for it.
No problem, thanks for confirming that the problem has been solved. Don't know about the past models. Here you acm se an example of people discussing about this: www.avforums.com/threads/audiolab-6000a-play-integrated-streaming-amplifier-review-comments.2322580/
The link references an Audiolab amplifier not their CD transport.
The one in the video description is correct I just checked
That was very informative!
thank you for the video! I have a question. If one of my CDs is available on Apple Music Lossless, and I am connected to a good DAC, would the CD transport have any advantage over it? I mean, the function of the CD transport is the correct reading and transfer of the data, right? Are there gaps on reading/transfer data from my Mac to the DAC? thanks!
That is one of the main point at stake. According to several and in most cases I agree, a good CD played on a good player or transport with a high quality DAC is superior to quality streaming.
Apparently, if you live in Japan (like me!), you can find the C.E.C. Tl5 for 96,630yen (under $1000). At that price point, it's arguably the winner in terms of cost/performance.
Is CEC TL5 good for sacd?
@@edwardlee6848
Looking at both the Japanese and English text on the website, the answer seems sadly to be no.
www.cec-web.co.jp/service/download/document/catalog/TL5_ENG_Catalog_w.pdf
Just like to know how much is CEC TL2N selling in Japan? Thank you
Without a doubt for the price of some of those units they really should support SACD playback as well. Not just playing the CD layer, the actual DSD layer for that kind of money.
I wouldn't buy a Transport with all the other modes like SACD, etc. I would buy something like Denafrips, Jays, and few others' that play exclusively Redbook CD's. I believe quality has to be compromised when you put so many things under the hood!
@@eugeneniemierzycki6490 Depends on the manufacturer. My current Onkyo DVD player supports SACD and the result is brilliant on DVD audio, SACD and CD. I'd also like it to play Blu-ray audio for all the hi-res albums coming out in that format also. Your only concern should be the DAC's and amp topology used. If those are selected correctly by the manufacturer(and the good manufacturers will actually brag about them in the specs) you will find no compromise on sound quality whatsoever. The sadly no longer available Oppo players were solid proof of this, as were a lot of the Yamaha Blu-ray players. Alas, it's becoming rare to find all on ones as streaming is killing the demand for physical medi players full stop. For the majority of listeners MP3(yuck) seems to be just fine. For me, I don't want 4 diddicated players floating around. With Laserdisc player, record player, DVD player and a hifi Blu-ray player, I already get picked on for having to many playback devices, adding another 3 players to have all dedicated would be a bit much and possibly have my partner phoning for the rubber room.
Shanling ET3 - best CD transport, that has not just USB out, but also I2S and upsampling to DSD512 🥰
As I am considering the audiolab and the Cambridge it would be helpful to explain why you recommend one vs the other, ie. Sound quality, features etc.