[Kevin Sinnott]

I recently bought two Non-oversampling DACs, the dAck! 2.0 and the Lite Dac-Ah, modified. I'm impressed with both units.

I've read a lot abouit these units being picky about their transports. Have any of you compared several and do you have suggestions? I know they're alleged to be picky about jitter. Ack's Chris was kind enough to share hie recommendation of belt-drive transports, but those I've seen are quite expensive. I found a used Meridan 500, which is supposed to be pretty low in jitter, but...

Any suggestions?

 

[Loftprojection]

I had an Arcam CD23T CDP (was selling around $2000 a few years ago) and I still have a universal Denon 2900 and a Rotel CDP. None of these beats my modified Squeezebox as a transport into my Paradisea DAC. I think the Squeezebox is probably way up with the best transports as far as delivering a jitter free digital signal. PS. Mine is a Red Wine Audio modded model so I can't say how the stock Squeezebox performs.

 

[tbonner1]

Not as many transport only cd players today even in the high end.

Possible reasons:

1-Since you have the chassis, power supply and transport in one box already, it does not take much more money to add the DAC which widens the appeal of the unit .

2-Even inexpensive "all in oner" players have decent sound through the digital out.

3-Jitter has been reduced on many of todays inexpensive players. Jitter reduction has been improved and built into may DAC's reducing the need for expensive transport only boxes and the need for devices such as the Monarchy jitter reduction boxes.

 

[Kevin Sinnott]

Thanks. I am going to check out the Squeezebox.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loftprojection /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had an Arcam CD23T CDP (was selling around $2000 a few years ago) and I still have a universal Denon 2900 and a Rotel CDP. None of these beats my modified Squeezebox as a transport into my Paradisea DAC. I think the Squeezebox is probably way up with the best transports as far as delivering a jitter free digital signal. PS. Mine is a Red Wine Audio modded model so I can't say how the stock Squeezebox performs.

Strictly speaking the squeezebox isn't a transport though. It's just a control surface for interfacing to music files on a computer harddrive which is I guess arguably a superior method to playing back from a CD. Do your dacs support word clock ? then you can slave them to the CPU which ought to minimise timing issues.
However if you want an actual CD transport designed to play music cds in real time I'd say you're on the right lines with somthing vintage like the Meridian from a time before CD/DVD ROM drives were used in everything.
Older units with Philips swing arm mechanisms from Philips, Marantz, Revox or any of the major European manufacturers are probably a good bet too.

 

[Kevin Sinnott]

Yes, I see what you mean. I investigated the Squeezebox and it looks like I'd end up transfering my collection to a computer. Do I understand correctly? I would prefer to keep working off my CD collection. I use the Ack dAck! DAC, which so far has sounded best off my ancient JVC-1010 player, through the coax out of course. Ack's Chris recommended a CEC player, but they're rare. I borrowed a Meridian 500 and, so far, I'm not sure I like it better or not. It does seem that transports are rare.

 

[luvdunhill]

I'd look into a CEC (or the older Parasound rebranded CEC). Excellent units and definitely unique design (belt driven, mass loading system, etc.)

 

[feckn_eejit]

Without a DAC that reclocks and mucks about with the digital signal, you definitely want to minimize jitter at every stage in your front end.

Another vote for CEC/Parasound; the belt-driven mass-loaded physical transport has incredible potential for low-jitter transmission. I have the Parasound C/BD-2000, it is spectacular value for money. While not the last word in resolution, the presentation is extremely musical, palpable and enjoyable.

It looks like the C/BD-2000 (and most lower-end CEC units as well) could be MASSIVELY improved with a clock upgrade, the crappy canned crystal they use as stock is rubbish!

A TEAC VRDS-based transport would be great as well.

 

[n_maher]

What's your budget, Kevin? Transports, like everything else, run the gamut.

 

[Kevin Sinnott]

Sorry, I've been busy and couldn't log in. My budget is idealy around $500. I realize in this field that's not a lot of cash. I tried a Meridan 500 used, that was okay, but ulitmately no better than my JVC-1010, soundwise. I tried a used Kinergetics transport KCD-55T. It sounds way better than the others I've tried. Although not belt-driven, it demonstrates to me that value of a good transport. I can only imagine what a belt-driven C.E.C. or Parasound would do, or have I found a real bargain. A belt-driven appears to be $1000 plus, whereas the Kinergetics is $350.

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

I've been through exactly what you're asking about, i.e. for a while running a NOS DAC on the back-end of a fairly cheap DVD player.

I personally went with a 500 transport, which was better, but not enourmously so. Uprating both the internal clock and adding a better power cable made a good deal of difference. Having said all of that, a friend of mine was running a Quad 99 and until I replaced the NOS DAC with a Bel Canto DAC2, I didn't think that my transport/DAC combo was better than the Quad. As the Quad can be bought for around the same price as the 500/DAC, made me wonder why I bothered.

Ref the SB. I'm told that a standard SB3 is NOT as good a transport as a standard Meridian 500 transport, which is why I went with an SB+, which is an SB3 on steroids, ie. better PSU, internal clocks, etc.

 

[sachu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Sinnott /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sorry, I've been busy and couldn't log in. My budget is idealy around $500. I realize in this field that's not a lot of cash. I tried a Meridan 500 used, that was okay, but ulitmately no better than my JVC-1010, soundwise. I tried a used Kinergetics transport KCD-55T. It sounds way better than the others I've tried. Although not belt-driven, it demonstrates to me that value of a good transport. I can only imagine what a belt-driven C.E.C. or Parasound would do, or have I found a real bargain. A belt-driven appears to be $1000 plus, whereas the Kinergetics is $350.

How about a Pioneer DV79 DVD player. u get a new one for abt 500$ on audiogon.

 

[tbonner1]

I can no longer justify spending big money on transports when the inexpensive DVD players like the Philips 642 can be modified easily and sound decent.

Read the posts here on the 642 and at Audio Asylum on inexpensive digital transports.

 

[Kevin Sinnott]

I'm sticking with the used Kinergetics KCD-55T for the moment. It sounds very, very good in combination with the Ack dAck! 2.0. But, I will look into the Philips 642 and modifying it. Longer term, I might purchase the C.E.C. as Ack's Chris Own says his Dac is voiced for it. But, at $1000+ if/when I find one, I have some time to consider other options.

 

[wower]

Quote:

Originally Posted by feckn_eejit /img/forum/go_quote.gif A TEAC VRDS-based transport would be great as well.

haha. Tru' dat'!