quick question: what exactly is a transport?

[Puddleglum]

I think I have an idea. Is it a source used to for a digital external Dac? I could be wrong. Give me examples of good budget transports, I will soon have a voodoochile tushi modded 3960 what that work well with something like a Ack! Dack! if I decided to get one somewhere down the line?

 

[clarke68]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puddleglum I think I have an idea. Is it a source used to for a digital external Dac?

Yup. Basically anything that plays a CD and has a digital out, but there are dedicated transports (Audio Alchemy DDS, Mark Levinson No. 37, et al), that have no on-board DAC at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puddleglum Give me examples of good budget transports, I will soon have a voodoochile tushi modded 3960 what that work well with something like a Ack! Dack! if I decided to get one somewhere down the line?

I don't know any in particular that have good synergy with the dAck!, but your 3960 should do just fine.

The ultimate budget transport (i.e. ultimate budget, not ultimate transport) is the NEC MultiSpin 6Xe CDR-602...a CD-ROM drive with a coaxial out that's often available on eBay for around $30.

 

[jefemeister]

The What is a DAC thread is probably also useful to you. Usually, you don't see budget transports, only budget players with digital outputs being used as transports. I venture to say that any player that sounds good and is the right price is your best bet for use as a transport.