Agreed, synergy is everything. I would add another term - continuity. I realised years ago that signal wiring has for most been out of sight/out of mind ergo - not important, insane but true. Anything that interrupts/disrupts or slows down the signal speed is corrupting the signal information. Virtually all connectors are of ancient design none more so than the headphone jack. I look at most h/phone cables and despair. Check out the dielectric used, is it Teflon or much better FEP, same family of fluorocarbons but far more clarity/space/timbre. using an air dielectric even better, lots to work on - enjoy the music.
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.
That is a very nice addition to the topic. That would be an almost ideal companion for the Denafrips Ares (II). Only i just ordered the Shanling, and the Nuprime is not what i consider an impulse buy at 800. But at least it's a proper transport. And looks restrained and classy.
Only i just ordered the Shanling, and the Nuprime is not what i consider an impulse buy at 800. But at least it's a proper transport. And looks restrained and classy.
My new CDP arrived quickly from Germany and only cost €10 - how is it that the German owned DHL can deliver so cheaply, by far the cheapest carrier in the whole of Europe. Anything from the USA to Europe is outrageously expensive, it didn't use to be so.
So the Marantz CD6007 is big but as it has a good or very good h/amp built in with USB connection for lots of digital formats you only need a set of cans and your in business.
As usual it comes with cheap i/connects and an unshielded power cord, both will have the outer sheathing removed and I shall use the wire in the garden. They will be replaced by a double shielded power cord and my own design unshielded air cored multi conductor i/connects.
As usual I shall ignore the dire warnings about removing the lid and take a look at the PSU caps and the h/amp components. The only difference between the CD6006 and the UK edition were the different PSU caps - vamos a ver/let's see.
My new CDP arrived quickly from Germany and only cost €10 - how is it that the German owned DHL can deliver so cheaply, by far the cheapest carrier in the whole of Europe. Anything from the USA to Europe is outrageously expensive, it didn't use to be so.
So the Marantz CD6007 is big but as it has a good or very good h/amp built in with USB connection for lots of digital formats you only need a set of cans and your in business.
As usual it comes with cheap i/connects and an unshielded power cord, both will have the outer sheathing removed and I shall use the wire in the garden. They will be replaced by a double shielded power cord and my own design unshielded air cored multi conductor i/connects.
As usual I shall ignore the dire warnings about removing the lid and take a look at the PSU caps and the h/amp components. The only difference between the CD6006 and the UK edition were the different PSU caps - vamos a ver/let's see.
@Gallic Dweller glad you've got it so quickly and cheaply Thanks for initial impressions. Looking forward to hear your experience after some time and peeking into inside. Pictures would be nice too
My new CDP arrived quickly from Germany and only cost €10 - how is it that the German owned DHL can deliver so cheaply, by far the cheapest carrier in the whole of Europe. Anything from the USA to Europe is outrageously expensive, it didn't use to be so.
well, since you asked... do not use DHL for shipping from outside the EU or you will know. They have a nice scam where they prepay your packages VAT and add €17 for that automatic process. If they can't determine they guesstimate the price way to high and you're screwed. And no way to protest (as per their user agreement).
I avoid DHL like the plague because they always give me grief. Always as in without exception. Might be fine for inside the EU, but never outside.
Jeep,
outrageous shipping costs are killing business for individuals and small companies. I bought the brilliant Stereo coffee LDR volume/preamp. I make and used to sell air cored multi-conductor analogue i/connects so when Chris said he had an improved PSU board, I sent him a pair of my i/connects and he sent me the new PSU board - it cost him approx. €8 to send the new board to me but it cost me €24 to send him the i/connects and the old PSU board.
There are Aussies who want to buy i/connects from me but can't find a reasonable priced carrier to meet this demand. A single LP from the USA is €24 and up, this is crazy. Sea mail takes time but would be a fraction of air mail cost.
So back to the Marantz CD6007 - of course I had to have a listen immediately - very pleased, I have to agree with those who say that the CDPs of 20 years ago are truly inferior. I had a 63KI, bought in 92 - this is way better. Much bigger more expansive soundstage, shocked at how more natural voice is. Also used for the first time my Oppo 2 cans which are supposed to be a bit bass light, can't agree, very expansive and layered, don't forget this is the built in h/amp.
Once I have wired up the external x/overs for my Heybrooks I fully expect the sound to be profoundly better. If someone wants to use the 6007 for an office system, I think they will be satisfied with the built in h/amp and that's before any possible mods to this circuit.
If someone wants to use the 6007 for an office system, I think they will be satisfied with the built in h/amp and that's before any possible mods to this circuit.
i just received my Tempo/Shanling cd-player and its running now below the Ares II. So i only use it as a transport. And that it does just fine. I have no volume control through the coax but that is the Denafrips doing it's work keeping things clean. And that is what it does.
Sound is excellent, coax out. Looks are very sleek and elegant and the fascia is the exact same size as the Ares. Only the surface is brushed. And the green leds... the verdict is still out on that. It is dimmable though (full, half, off).
The sound over the analog outputs; haven't tested it yet.
So i took some time to plug in some cables to the analog out and test the sound of the internal dac of the Tempo eC1B. It is a PCM 1796 chip and 3 ne5532 opamps for output stage. Nothing special but it works as expected. Ok, I admit it's the 'worst' dac I've listened to in about a decade, but dont let that trow you off. I gives me a good reality check. Is my discrete NOS R2R Dac that much better?
Switching between dac's is somehow weird. On first glance it sounds the same. But however close they sound it is not that subtle. Differences between speakers are very different. With dacs you have to listen for very different things. Or not 'listen' but more like 'experience' how it makes you feel. Well, it felt like going back in time when i had a very expensive Myriad cd-player that never quite did it for me like vinyl does.
Bass, mids, highs, speed and timbre are all there. The soundstage is rather narrowed down between the speakers and less deep. And there is a little brightness or 'extra detail' in the highs. Instruments are defined in the room but not tangible and a bit grainy. It's all there but it doesn't draw you into the music like better dac's. I listened to my my old reference and trusted warhorse, David Sylvians 'when poets dreamed of angels' from 'secrets of the beehive'. The strange thing is the 5 guitars were not where i remember them to be. Like looking at an old familiar family photo and suddenly noticing mom and dad standing in a different place. So far, considering the price, this is all very reasonable and more than adequate.
But now the strange part that makes me realise I still have a lot to learn a lot about transport-dac interaction. By using the coax to the Ares R2R DAC the soundstage stayed the same. A bit warped and shrunken. And the sound almost a bit rolled off. No more graininess or artificial detail. But layering into the distance was still more like guessing than just being able to just point out what instrument is standing where in the venue.
Then turned on my tv to play the same track from harddisk via Kodi (not ideal since it resamples 44 to 48k). And suddenly everything was in its proper place. So the transport does do more than I expected. It's ok by me since most cd's sound so great anyway because of dated (bad re-)mastering and casualties of the loudness war. At least i can enjoy the music again without skipping.
So I bought myself a Pro-ject CD Box a while ago but now I've upgraded my DAC (which tops the built-in one in the Pro-ject now) so now I am on the lookout for a nice cd transport with a tiny footprint. But I'm quite surprised (again) with the outrageous prices of a "cd transport" compared to a normal "cd player". Whereas as far as I know, a player has more hardware to it (DAC) than a transport, I'm highly suspicious on a thought like "nobody else but audiophiles are even looking for something called a cd transport so we can just quadruple the price". Something similar to carving out a €10 wooden block and sell it as a "headphone stand" and ask like €150 for it. Sure, this Olasonic nano cd transport probably is amazing, but asking nearly €1000 for it seems kind of ridiculous if you ask me. Or does it operate or sound really that much better than my €300 CD-box? I've been in this audiophile hobby for a while now but haven't come across something so out of context as cd transports before. Might be something with (lack of) demand to do too btw Anyway, just surprised to hardly find any transport under €300 or so, even second hand.
So, I'm looking for something more reasonable from the second hand market which has a digital out and a little screen. Apparently I get a free DAC (which I'm not gonna use) with it too considering my budget, ...whatever. Thinking about the above mentioned Shanling/Tempo or a CD Box (D)S(2) which has a digital out. I also know TEAC made some nice ones. But nothing nice has popped up near me on the second hand market so might there be more tips in 2020 in Europe?
So I bought myself a Pro-ject CD Box a while ago but now I've upgraded my DAC (which tops the built-in one in the Pro-ject now) so now I am on the lookout for a nice cd transport with a tiny footprint. But I'm quite surprised (again) with the outrageous prices of a "cd transport" compared to a normal "cd player". Whereas as far as I know, a player has more hardware to it (DAC) than a transport, I'm highly suspicious on a thought like "nobody else but audiophiles are even looking for something called a cd transport so we can just quadruple the price". Something similar to carving out a €10 wooden block and sell it as a "headphone stand" and ask like €150 for it. Sure, this Olasonic nano cd transport probably is amazing, but asking nearly €1000 for it seems kind of ridiculous if you ask me. Or does it operate or sound really that much better than my €300 CD-box? I've been in this audiophile hobby for a while now but haven't come across something so out of context as cd transports before. Might be something with (lack of) demand to do too btw Anyway, just surprised to hardly find any transport under €300 or so, even second hand.
So, I'm looking for something more reasonable from the second hand market which has a digital out and a little screen. Apparently I get a free DAC (which I'm not gonna use) with it too considering my budget, ...whatever. Thinking about the above mentioned Shanling/Tempo or a CD Box (D)S(2) which has a digital out. I also know TEAC made some nice ones. But nothing nice has popped up near me on the second hand market so might there be more tips in 2020 in Europe?
Since some cd transports are manufactured in small quantities there is very little margin for price drop I suppose. On the other hand CD/DVD players are still being manufactured on a large scale as consumer electronic and their production is a lot cheaper which at least partially explains price difference. Please correct me if I am wrong but I think that Olasonic nano cd is not in production any longer.
True that. Found this one too:
Cayin MINI-CD home mini CD player HIFI music CD player https://a.aliexpress.com/_mqHBJJr
Despite lovely spelling errors like that it comes with a remote, Cayin is a respectable brand. Anyone got any experience?
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Thanks for initial impressions. Looking forward to hear your experience after some time and peeking into inside. Pictures would be nice too 
