@Lindholdt if you are looking for transport only in a compact form, I'd check out Nuprime CDT line. The only drawback is mine got broken down after around 3 years and I'll be send it for a service. The reason I've bought it was upsampling feature and it played perfectly well with Rockna WaveLight.
@Lindholdt I currently have the Shanling ET3 and the NuPrime CDT-8 PRO.
If you need a "transport only", I too would recommend auditioning the NuPrime although, as @alekc alludes, the NuPrime(s) can be quirky. The CDT-8 PRO presents a much fuller, more neutral, open and natural sound to my ears than the Shanling.
The NuPrime pairs very well with the Holo Spring and, via i2s/HDMI, I (too) am enjoying upsampled PCM 24/768 (and DSD 256).
In all fairness, I should probably reinstall the Shanling [currently up for sale(!)] with the newly implemented upstream gear; however, to my ears, it has always sounded "colored" compared to the NuPrime.
That said, the versatile ET3 offers more than just a CD transport, and is a very capable transport in its own right.
enjoying my Meze 109 pro so bad
almost 3 am and i forgot how many hours i played music tonight, they sound so good and are comfortable AF
and listening to my favorite band makes time fly
Prelude To Ecstasy (2024) by The Last Dinner Party - I've been doing my best to ignore this band for most of this year but when I saw Brian May singing their praises on Instagram I had to take notice. They are like a blend of Florence + The Machine and Sparks, two bands I really enjoy and the result is something that sounds fresh and exciting, oh and I really like the album, which as a debut album has no business sounding as polished as it does, these girls are the real deal. Abigail Morris sounds uncannily like Russel Mael on some songs and even has that same spark of humour, while the band sound suspiciously like a rock BAND, something that has become a rarity in the pop charts over the past few years. I haven't given the DT1990's a run out for quite a while as they have quite some competition now but they are conveying the sounds of this fine album with aplomb, as I knew they would.
@sygnus21 since I am honest yet at the same time I do not know any other CDT owner who had an issue with stucked tray mechanism like I do so it could be my bad luck with single bad unit. The point is that maybe except Chord Blu Mk II there aren't many CD transports doing upsampling both to PCM and DSD and soundwise this is IMHO the best transport I have heard and perzonally oowned. Chord cd transport also had some problems and has been discontonued, so CDT is even more interesting option today, not to mention price difference.
People love Susvara sound yet they report quality issue. This could be a similar case. The point here is if there is a service point that can handle Nuprime fixes and I accept the fact that once in a while everything can break down and I do not want to make a bad reputation for a otherwise great little cd transport. Yes, it can be picky sometimes when pairing with a dac but that also could be dac fault sometimes.
@sygnus21 since I am honest yet at the same time I do not know any other CDT owner who had an issue with stucked tray mechanism like I do so it could be my bad luck with single bad unit.
@sygnus21 mine and @pataburd issues were of a different nature so please do not mix those cases. We are often using products from niche manufacturers in this hobby and because of that you may accept some risk or inconvenience. If you would ask me if I am happy about purchasing Nuprime transport the answer is yes. Would I prefer to have it still working, the answer is still yes. Did it provided the functionality and sound I wanted: still the answer is yes.
Another HPs example: Audeze have QC and build issues yet I finally bought MM-500 since I've been missing LCD-1. Does it make sense - no. The Audeze topics are full of pictures how those cans break apart depending on particular model. Yet if you would ask me for a particular sound signature I may recommend MM-500 to you while pointing out all the risk associated with such purchase.
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[Liberty / United Artists: released October, 1975.] Don't funk without this album!!
