What kind of transport are you using to your dac? - Page 2

asus Xonar STX coax out

Tascam CD450 coax out

Sony MDE530 optical out

>into<

Moodlab Concept DAC

I've always wondered why more people [who prefer using CDs to computer-based streamers] don't try using professional (studio) CD players with balanced outputs before spending mega-bucks on "audiophile" transports?

Firstly I'm new into this forum.

Personally I still prefer CD player/transport rather than using PC/Laptop as source.

Parasound CD-1000 (coax)

Parasound DAC-1000

Parasound P/LD-1000 Line Pre-Amp

Musical Fidelity X10-D Tube Buffer (correct me if I'm)

Musical Fidelity X-Cans V1 Headamp

Sennheiser HD-600

The above oldest gears had been with me  appx 10-12 yrs!

Sony Vaio > USB > DAC.

On this matter of transports, if I use my laptop, I play music that I have previously downloaded so it is a file that has been prepared and read at leisure and is perfect.

If I were to use a CDP, it has to read the music and transmit it in real time off the spinning disc. Surely that is going to be more prone to errors and so a CDP is not going to make as good a transport as a computer?

"Chimera" Core i7 920 @ 3.9Ghz PC > Maverick Audio Tube Magic D1 > ? (shopping for a pair of full size cans for home use)

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ 

I've always wondered why more people [who prefer using CDs to computer-based streamers] don't try using professional (studio) CD players with balanced outputs before spending mega-bucks on "audiophile" transports?

Because the Pro units are usually built with longevity rather than SQ in mind.They don't use anything special in the way of parts (clocks are cheap, parts selection is even cheaper). The transports themselves compared to the units you could get 10-15 years ago are no better than the ones you get today in consumer gear. The CD specific transports have almost gone by the way of the dinosaur. You could build a better transport using the CDMPro unit and billet aluminum tray assembly from Daisy then you would ever find in any Pro level gear. The prices for pro gear don't reflect what is under the chassis lid 9 times out of 10. What's worse they usually sound like the Benchmark DAC1. All IMO and experience (with TASCAM, TEAC and few other obscure nameplates not worth mentioning).

Peete.

mac->RME PCI card->AES->buffalo II/ackodac proto (this week finally)

mac->async USB via OEM M2TECH development board->i2s->buffalo II

on the go iriver->optical->D10 mod

ipad->camera connection kit->USB->D10 and shortly portable buffalo II

up till about 6 months ago I was using mac->RME FF400 via firewire->AES->buffalo32 and that worked quite well, but I found I wasnt using the firefaces other functionality enough so sold it on and was a bit convoluted

thinking of buying the SD TRANS which will put out 384khz and the buff and ackodac will both cope with that and there is another USB input card on the near horizon that will match that, should have a proto in a month or so

not a CD transport in the house, no need

keen to see the decoder, his PCBs are usually so beautiful