[alekc]

Thanks a lot @Gallic Dweller - I need to rethink what I need it seems but definitively Marantz is on my list. Apparently UK edition is available on Amazon so ordering should not be a problem The size of it still bothers me thou.

 

[depthgrammar]

Since I've gotten back into cd lately and have checked in with this thread over the years, thought I'd add my 2c. I've been using the Shanling Tempo EC1B now for over two years as a transport via coax to my Dac19 DSP1 and have had no problems - works great and sounds great in this application, although I don't have a more expensive transport to compare it to. Cds over coax sound better than usb from my computer, fwiw. I have a vintage magnavox cdb460 in the living room and I'm happy with both, though I haven't directly compared them in the same system.

Recently - out of boredom - I've been putting together a little bedside rig and started looking again at small cd player/transports. Was about to buy this Cayin MiniCD player -

https://www.aliexpress.com/i/4001007772114.html

but the seller says no 120v for the US. Another listing has it as 100-240v compatible:

https://www.china-hifi-audio.com/en...sic-cd-player-hdcd-with-remote-control-p-1648

so I'm not sure which is true. Also have read mixed reviews about china-hifi-audio. Anyway, too bad as the little Cayin looks great in terms of form factor and has coax out, and it's from a reputed brand.

There's also now this, the RFTLYS CD1 - w/ AK4396 and XLR outs. Can't find any reviews and don't know anything about this brand, but looks like an interesting option.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32872892826.html

I'm really tempted by the Olasonic nano cd transport, but it seems so expensive for what it is, and the price keeps climbing as stock dwindles. Have read mixed reviews on that as well - some say it's amazing, some say way overpriced. But I think it's about perfect in terms of size and function - exactly what someone ought to have in production at a lower price point.

The Teacs look decent, but I don't really want or need the extra functionality (onboard tuner?). If Teac made a no frills transport in the smaller form factor I'd be all over it.

I got into vinyl years ago because at the time records were comparatively cheap and you could put together a system for less that sounded a lot better than what you could get from cd - at least as far as I was aware. Now the tables are turned and vinyl is super expensive while cds are cheap and abundant (although watching some prices on discogs, that's been changing). And of course it's possible to get really good sound from cds, as we know, with no need to worry about Spotify dropping several tracks from your favorite lp seemingly at random. You can check the Steve Hoffman forum where everyone weighs in on best available mastering for almost any record you can think of (and mastering quality can make a huge difference - comparable to better gear in my experience). So it seems to me the lull in interest in the format means we've been in a sweet spot as regards cds. If some manufacturer could get the simple small transport thing right at the right price it might be a good move right about now, in this era of dac/amps with multiple ins. Or - maybe not? But I know I'd want one - maybe two or three, actually.

 

[project86]

Wow, blast from the past, I forgot all about this thread. But it seems just as relevant now - CDs still sound great and are easily found at dirt-cheap pricing... much like vinyl used to be in the 90s. So why not?

That RFTLYS player looks like many of the other Chinese branded file players I see out there, with the addition of a CD drive. Not sure I'd be willing to take the chance personally. That little Cayin player looks nice though, and appears to require a standard 9V/1A power supply. The one they ship it with might already be universal but if not, it should be easy enough to find source one elsewhere for very little money. Actually the more I look the more I want that little Cayin player (even though I have no real use for it right now).

 

[Quince]

Recently added an Exposure XM to my setup. It does look pretty average, but It sounds pretty good stock and really improves with some isoacoustic orea feet and adding some weight to the sliding door; in my case a sandwich of brass sheet (weight), Dynamat (vibration absorber) and silicone rubber (protection). I only use it as a transport though.

 

[depthgrammar]

Recently added an Exposure XM to my setup. It does look pretty average

I actually like the looks of the Exposure - and top loading seems ideal. If I had the $ to spend I'd likely go that route. The Heed Obelisk is another transport I don't think was mentioned here. They also make the Thesis Delta, small form cd player. Both pricey but look nice to me.

That little Cayin player looks nice though, and appears to require a standard 9V/1A power supply. The one they ship it with might already be universal but if not, it should be easy enough to find source one elsewhere for very little money. Actually the more I look the more I want that little Cayin player (even though I have no real use for it right now).

Hmm, in that case I might go for the Cayin after all. Would that also apply to the Olasonic? Earlier in the thread you said -

Not easy to find in the USA but it is universal voltage so no transformer needed.

 

[mcgo]

I’ve been using a Sony DVD player for playing CDs since it has a small footprint AND coax SPDIF out. Have it hooked into both my outboard dacs (daisychained using Hosa YRA-104 splitter). Works fine in the blind (no TV hookup) and comes with a remote. And it likes my Verbatim discs too, wink wink.

SONY DVP-SR210P

Can be had for $33 on amzn (B007F9XHBI) new, oh my!

Really love spinning discs from start to end thru my NOS dac... If you can find a “Pro-ject DAC Box S FL” used, snap it up! TDA1543x4 is purty magical. Keyword is enjoyment, and it delivers (and this is from someone who owns RME ADI-2).

Edit: Just noticed that amzn had 5 NEW silver faceplate DAC Box S FL in stock (B009HPDU7O) so you don’t need to buy used in 2020 to get this awesome 16bit CD quality dac. Note the amzn listing says USB but that is incorrect. It is coax/optical only. Plus I have previously posted on head-fi instructions for swapping out the switching power supply with a class 2 linear (for ~$30) which I also recommend.

 

[alekc]

In the meantime I've been experimenting with Volumnio cd rippig feature running it on Rpi3. It turned out that 20$ dvd player for notebooks is doing the trick and reads cds that were unable to load in hifi rigs. It would even stay with me as cd transport but the Rpi3 and web interface of volumnia were bottlenecks for me and you need to setup external power supply for cd. Further ifi igalvanic did not work correctly with Rpi3 (I would suspect power issues again but never found time to investigate it further). To make a long story short: it could be great option for someone who likes simple DYI projects for 1 evening and can accept flimsy response from volumnio UI.

 

[depthgrammar]

Since I'd never a/b-ed the transport options i have here, I decided to do it today. Thought I'd share my (unapologetically) subjective impressions.

My main headphone rig here is:

Shanling EC1B cd player --> Audioquest Forest coaxial rca cable --> Audio-gd Dac 19 DSP1 --> Oyaide rca cable --> Lake People G109A --> HD650.

I brought my vintage Magnavox CDB 460 in from the living room and ab-ed it feeding the Dac19 via the same AQ coax cable against the Shanling/Dac19 combo. The Magnavox has the Phillips transport which is well regarded (and a TDA 1541 chip - also a classic). The Magnavox is a bit of an improvement to my ears as a transport. The soundstage got a bit wider and the imaging settled and took on more weight, with a little more perceived air between instruments. The change reminded me of when I first switched the Lake People amp to low gain - suddenly everything felt a bit more dimensional, palpable, relaxed, natural, and somehow weightier & airier at the same time. This is not to dismiss the Shanling - when I went back to it and adjusted after a minute I still enjoyed it very much as per usual. I think it's a good small form budget option. These differences are small, but no doubt small differences can be decisive.

Incidentally I then a/bed the Magnavox player stock vs as a transport to the Dac19. The Dac19 (PCM1704) edges it out in (what I would call) resolution. What I mean is that the Dac 19 makes the Magnavox alone sound ever so slightly grainy or 'pixelated'. It's also a tiny bit fuller/bassier, with more realistic vocals as a result. However the changes to imaging and soundstage etc described in the paragraph above were constant with the Magnavox alone or as transport.

And lastly, the Magnavox stock vs Shanling/Dac19 is just as would be expected from the above. Shanling/Dac19 combo has better 'resolution' and fuller bass, but the soundstage/image on the Magnavox is a bit wider and more defined.

Interesting to hear the difference a transport can make. Now I'm going to spend some time with the Magnavox-Dac19 combo.

 

[project86]

I actually like the looks of the Exposure - and top loading seems ideal. If I had the $ to spend I'd likely go that route. The Heed Obelisk is another transport I don't think was mentioned here. They also make the Thesis Delta, small form cd player. Both pricey but look nice to me.

Hmm, in that case I might go for the Cayin after all. Would that also apply to the Olasonic? Earlier in the thread you said -

Agree on the Heed stuff - looks pretty nice but a bit expensive for what it is imho. The top loading Exposure is certainly interesting, though perhaps not so viable for multi-tier audio racks unless it lives on the top shelf.

Well that Cayin and the Olasonic both have wall-wart style switching power supplies with what looks like a standard connector on the player side. So even if the wall-wart they supply is not universal, it should be very cheap/easy to find a replacement that works in your area.

 

[mbritt]

It surprises me that there hasn't been more choices in this small desktop cd transport segment. The conversation of where do I find one has been going on for over a decade here and on other forums like Steve Hoffman. Back in 2008 I read a review for the TEAC Reference PD-H300mkIII CD Player and got one for my desktop rig. I loved that CD player but eventually gave it to a friend who needed a CD player. I don't regret giving it to someone who needed it but I do regret not having it anymore. It was a great little CD player in a half width format with TosLink optical digital out for a reasonable price. My main Marantz Universal BD/DVD/CD/SACD player has been repaired once and is still having problems and my Oppo DV-980H is starting to act up after 13 years of service. As a result, I've been selling most of my SACD and Blu-Ray audio discs and keeping my fingers crossed that at least one of these two players will last until Schiit releases their new CD transport later this year. I would bet that it will fill this gap nicely at a great price point and with their multibit DACs I don't need high resolution files anymore.

 

[]eep]

I've been looking into this thread because I wanted something to play my old cd's and fit under /on my new Denafrips Ares II (half width). I have 3 cd-players now and none of them play without skipping (if at all). And my BDp might be fine for video but it doesn't play CD's without pause between tracks. Since all it has to do is read cd's i don't need or care about the dac part.

I am a volunterr at a 2ndH charity shop and I looked at the incoming audio parts for a while (my job is vinyl, so i can pick up cd's too) but i noticed all older stuff is junk. So i better buy a new one. Since slot insert is somewhat of a risk i threw the Cayin out of my pre-selection and because its silver with a fake black underbelly trying to look smart, all that was left was the Tempo/Shanling EC1b and the RFTLYS CD1. Technically i would prefer the RFTLYS but it is higher than the Tempo which is exactly the same as the Ares front.

I couldn't find anything on either of them. Only a very favorable test of the Shanling predecessor PCD300A ( https://www.highfidelityreview.com/shanling-pcd300a.html) which still had a Philips drive. If i needed a complete cd-player I'd chose the RFTLYS.

It was a bit of a toss-up but i chose the Tempo for the nicer looking remote (of all the things i pick that to decide?). I was more curious about the RFTLYS DAC, but like i said, i don't need it (so then stop arguing i told myself... ). Choices, choices. Eeny meeny... i chose smallest footprint. I'll tell you how it performs when i get it.

 

[alekc]

So after long journey I've finally went with Nuprime CDT-8 Pro and while it has been only few hours since its arrival at my doorstep it gives me a lot of joy already. Take a look at this thread for more info: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/nuprime-cdt-8-cd-transport.897653/

What pushed me towards Nuprime was lack of coloration, dimensions and upsampling feature. I've almost went with Audiolab 6000CDT (almost half the price of Nuprime) but it is much larger and has no upsampling. I would even survive slot loading mechanism, but overall I prefer Nuprime. The one thing that Audiolab excels is a remote with track numbers. Nuprime remote is... clunky to say at least and like Cambridge Audio CXC does not allow to select track numbers.

 

[Gallic Dweller]

depthgrammar,
you jogged my memory I bought a s/hand Audio-gd DAC 19 DSP1 many years ago now, changed out the crappy connectors for silver RCAs and used silver wiring internally never got around to doing anything with it because I got sidetracked with health problems. I need to either use it or sell it.

I've decided to do some continuity checks on the Pro-ject CDP, nothing to lose to see if I can fix the problems.

Finally I erred on the side of familiarity and went for a Marantz which is a 'big' CDP. I didn't go for the CD6006 UK edition I went for the latest one - the CD6007. The big plus for me is that the h/amp is highly regarded. I like the idea that I only need the CDP and a pair of cans, so it can be almost anywhere in the house beside me and I have music.

The previous model UK edition has different PSU caps and I can check this out when the new 6007 arrives from Germany.

Top loading or slot you have to be very careful when handling CDs because they do scratch very easily and that was so with the first generation Marantz/Philips.

 

[alekc]

depthgrammar,
you jogged my memory I bought a s/hand Audio-gd DAC 19 DSP1 many years ago now, changed out the crappy connectors for silver RCAs and used silver wiring internally never got around to doing anything with it because I got sidetracked with health problems. I need to either use it or sell it.

I've decided to do some continuity checks on the Pro-ject CDP, nothing to lose to see if I can fix the problems.

Finally I erred on the side of familiarity and went for a Marantz which is a 'big' CDP. I didn't go for the CD6006 UK edition I went for the latest one - the CD6007. The big plus for me is that the h/amp is highly regarded. I like the idea that I only need the CDP and a pair of cans, so it can be almost anywhere in the house beside me and I have music.

The previous model UK edition has different PSU caps and I can check this out when the new 6007 arrives from Germany.

Top loading or slot you have to be very careful when handling CDs because they do scratch very easily and that was so with the first generation Marantz/Philips.

@Gallic Dweller please share your findings after 6007 arrives. I may be interested in normal size cd player with good headphone amp section. Looking forward to read your description.

 

[depthgrammar]

depthgrammar,
you jogged my memory I bought a s/hand Audio-gd DAC 19 DSP1 many years ago now, changed out the crappy connectors for silver RCAs and used silver wiring internally never got around to doing anything with it because I got sidetracked with health problems. I need to either use it or sell it.

Nice! I love mine. If you haven't given it a listen for awhile it's probably worth revisiting, especially if you've got new gear to try it with.

I've been acquiring some new things lately and trying out various players/transports in my chain, and I've come to some interesting conclusions. Transports definitely change the sound - not to the degree that a new set of speakers or headphones will, obviously, but they have their own character. Lately I went from my Shanling, to an old Magnavox with a Phillips CDM-2, to a Rotel player with a Sony transport and PCM63, to a Little Dot CDP II standalone transport. After all that, I'm back to the Shanling - DAC19 - Lake People G109A - HD 650 as my primary headphone system. The Little Dot transport is more resolving and controlled and a little less colored, maybe. Similar results with the Phillips transport in the Magnavox. But the little Shanling just has great synergy with the rest of the chain, to my ears. At first listening to the other transports I felt I was hearing a clear improvement, but after awhile I realized the presentation didn't have the same rightness for me - I was able to pick things apart more, but something of the unthinking immersive enjoyment of my original setup was missing. I hooked the Shanling back up and - there it was. I have no idea if this would hold in other setups, but the lesson I take from this is - synergy is key.

Incidentally - I realize there are many complicating design factors at play here, but I picked up the Rotel to have a listen to the PCM63 and compare it to the TDA1541 in my Magnavox and the PCM1704 in the DAC19. FWIW - my preference goes - DAC19 > Magnavox > Rotel. The Rotel might actually be the most resolving, but the Magnavox gets the big picture right, and the DAC 19 does that and goes a step further in terms of realism, lack of grain, and overall seductive sq.