[pigmode]

Roger that, just saw the OP wasn't looking for a Transport per se.

 

[project86]

Quote:

Roger that, just saw the OP wasn't looking for a Transport per se.

Good point. In this segment though, most everything has analog outputs as well as digital outs. The exceptions are the Little Dot and the Musical Fidelity.
 
I wish more people would make transport only models in this size. Save a bit of money by leaving out the DAC portion. Little Dot had the right idea, too bad the execution is sloppy (apparently it is very slow during use). 

 

[Microcuts]

Thank you all for the great suggestions. I'm looking for a transport because I'll be using an external DAC. But indeed, almost everything in the cheaper segments has analog outs too.
For now I'll be awaiting the first reviews of the TEAC PD-H01, because it looks to be damn neat!
 

 

[GasMaskMan]

Hope I'm not thread crapping, but I am having a hard time finding an answer to a question.
What is a CD Transport?  Is it the same thing as a CDP?
Or is the only difference that it uses an external DAC

 

[Microcuts]

Quote:

Hope I'm not thread crapping, but I am having a hard time finding an answer to a question.
What is a CD Transport?  Is it the same thing as a CDP?
Or is the only difference that it uses an external DAC

No idea what you mean with a "CDP", but: A CD transport is just like a normal CD player, but without the DAC part. So it only has digital outputs.
But you can also use a normal CD player as a transport by using the digital output.

 

[GasMaskMan]

Quote:

No idea what you mean with a "CDP", but: A CD transport is just like a normal CD player, but without the DAC part. So it only has digital outputs.
But you can also use a normal CD player as a transport by using the digital output.

CDP is an abbreviation occasionally used for CD Player.
 

So...what upsides, other than space saving, come from a CD transport?
(sorry for so many questions)
 
 

 

[LostWeekend]

Quote:

CDP is an abbreviation occasionally used for CD Player.
 

So...what upsides, other than space saving, come from a CD transport?
(sorry for so many questions)
 
 

  I think that using separate cd transport and dac means that the transport can extract the digital signal from the disk without as much noise from the decoding chips and also it doesn't have to share power with them either.  A dac benefits the most I think because it doesn't have to share power with the disc drive and it doesn't have to contend with as much vibration from the drive either.  Most modern cd players have separate power supplies for everything though.

 

[Maxvla]

  I think that using separate cd transport and dac means that the transport can extract the digital signal from the disk without as much noise from the decoding chips and also it doesn't have to share power with them either.  A dac benefits the most I think because it doesn't have to share power with the disc drive and it doesn't have to contend with as much vibration from the drive either.  Most modern cd players have separate power supplies for everything though.

This is correct. A transport is basically a dumb component that only pulls information off a medium and passes it along without processing or adjusting. It's like a gopher politician aide, 'go for this', you may be doing something important, but you'll never know it.

My Rotel RDD-980 is a full size transport and only has optical and coaxial digital output. It feeds my Bifrost DAC.

---

I have a Shanling PCD300A as mentioned earlier in the thread, but I don't know if I can recommend it. It has problems accessing discs regularly. I have to tap quite hard on the top of the drive while accessing to get it to read anything. It's not always been like this, but it happened pretty soon after purchasing it.

 

[GasMaskMan]

Quote:

This is correct. A transport is basically a dumb component that only pulls information off a medium and passes it along without processing or adjusting. It's like a gopher politician aide, 'go for this', you may be doing something important, but you'll never know it.
My Rotel RDD-980 is a full size transport and only has optical and coaxial digital output. It feeds my Bifrost DAC.
---
I have a Shanling PCD300A as mentioned earlier in the thread, but I don't know if I can recommend it. It has problems accessing discs regularly. I have to tap quite hard on the top of the drive while accessing to get it to read anything. It's not always been like this, but it happened pretty soon after purchasing it.

So for a lower cost rig (I am a college student) should I bother with a transport or just try to find a regular player?
I mean I think I'd prefer a transport, and settle with something like a D3 and work my way up, but the lowest priced Transport I've seen is the Little Dot.
 

 

[Maxvla]

Buy used. My Rotel I bought a couple weeks ago for $150 on Audiogon. Thing is built like a tank, has been in use for about 10 years and is working as good as new.

 

[GasMaskMan]

Quote:

Buy used. My Rotel I bought a couple weeks ago for $150 on Audiogon. Thing is built like a tank, has been in use for about 10 years and is working as good as new.

So, saying I should look for Rotels, I'm so new to this it hurts.

 

[Maxvla]

Not necessarily Rotels, but look at used units from any brand and don't worry too much if it's a fairly old unit. The only thing this one doesn't read is hybrid SACD/CDs, which I didn't expect it to. Something to keep an eye out for though, is Philips transports, the actual part that handles the CD and does the reading. These are some of the best until you get way higher on price scale. My Rotel has a Philips transport, which is one of the reasons it's still alive and kicking after so long.

 

[GasMaskMan]

Quote:

Not necessarily Rotels, but look at used units from any brand and don't worry too much if it's a fairly old unit. The only thing this one doesn't read is hybrid SACD/CDs, which I didn't expect it to. Something to keep an eye out for though, is Philips transports, the actual part that handles the CD and does the reading. These are some of the best until you get way higher on price scale. My Rotel has a Philips transport, which is one of the reasons it's still alive and kicking after so long.

Sweet, thanks for the help man! I'll be on the prowl for one.

Audiogon doesn't seem to have much, browsing eBay now.
 

 

[tetrode]

I don't believe it has been mentioned yet but there's also the Stello CDT100 small form factor transport from April Music:
 

 

 
It is more expensive than the OP wanted but it does offer AES/EBU digital output.

 

[The8thst]

You can also look for a used Pioneer DVD-V7400. Due to being designed for Industrial and Commercial environments they are built like tanks. They only desirable audio output is coaxial, but it does a good job at that, and they sell for less than dirt used (<$100).