47 Labs PiTracer

Tabl10s, I think the Sony used a fixed laser vs. the moving sled on most CD players. I guess there are some similarities. I have a Flatfish which spins the CD's with a slight off center motion and uses a moving laser sled. It is a great transport, but the Pitracer is in a league by itself. You should hear it!

Yeah, you're probably right. I know I read something about it not long ago. I was in the room when it first debuted at CES. They were setting it up and I thought to myself "What the heck is that?" It's too bad the display can't be bigger. I know of a reviewer who prefers the Zanden combo to the PiTracer.

I'm looking into the potential for high-end playback from a hard drive.
It seems to me that "in theory", the best CD 'ripping' technology should actually be able to do a better job of finding the individual bits on a CD than any CD transport, including the PiTracer.
All the 'ripper' has to do is find the bits and then place them, in an orderly fashion, on the hard drive.
There are many problems associated with hard-drive audio (sorry, I hate the term "computer audio") but this doesn't appear to be one of them.

I've heard the pitracer coupled to an Audionote DAC-5 signature in two different systems and the systems sounded wonderful. BUT, both transports needed frequent repairs, which means, being sent back to Japan. 47 labs stood behind their products, but still, it is a big pain for something that expensive to be so delicate and fraught with problems.

Personally, I hated the fingernail-on-chalkboard mechanical sounds the machine made when addressing a new disc or hunting for a track. Its mechanical operation was also quite slow, but then again, I use to have a Sony SCD-1 which set the bar for slow operation.

Exlibur....I haven't auditioned them myself but u should checl out VSR Systems and Zero One. Let us know what you think if you do!