CD transports; do they really matter

@charles1dad The belief that it’s all about the DAC is misguided in my opinion.

Comparing different transports with the same DAC is robust. Easy. And Sigma Delta DACs are mostly all very good these days. So, yes. Cannot comment on R2Rs but I understand from reviews that they vary. Yeah.

However something that may be quite relevant, I reckon, is that in comparing a CDP with a transport plus DAC, is that the DACs are in fact being compared.

The external (high quality) DAC with the internal DAC of the CDP of years past. "Aged Luxman CDP". I have a aged Technics CDP wasting space with something called MASH. It’s not pretty.

What I reckon most folk would be interested in is comparing a transport to their CDP where the same DAC is attached - if the CDP has digital out. I don’t know if CDPs generally have digital out. Especailly if they are like maybe 10 or 15 + years old.

And as I found recently, the transport mechanism in the CDP can become tired and require replacement by a technician (total cost for me was less than $100).  So that aspect is different as well.  But I digress.

@stuartk Yes, exactly, you got it. I’d encourage people to follow this advice.. Its just prudent and common sense.

My own CDP (Rega Saturn) has some DAC in it that was state of the art at the time - in 2008. It is very good, as it happens.

Chucked on a basic no frills Topping DAC and hello better everything.

Due to geography I can’t do a like with like comparison with a transport right now, but I certainly aim to do so before parting with over about USD$3,000 for a Pro-Ject transport.

Sounds better but not that much impact which leads me to wonder if the issue is the transport in the Luxman ( or my digital cord).

Issues with CDP are usually always mechanical, not electrical. Like, due to any number of reasons they fail which may manifest in skipping, getting stuck etc which you may find sometimes happens "normally" with a defective or dirty CD.

Yeah, so look elsewhere as you suggest like some robust cabling. I understand that 75 ohm coax should be at least 1.5 meters - about 5 feet. No, I don’t understand either when normally shorter is better.

Or perhaps some hardware aspects of your CDP have deteriorated with age which affect the digital signal.

The Technics CDP I mentioned is unlistenable probaly due to dodgy soldering or whatever with age and poor storage, and not just because of the antique internal DAC. Haven’t tried an external DAC with it, I didn’t look for digital out. I doubt it somehow, but I might be surprised.

Anyway, "better" is a good start - as I said with mine, better (lower noise floor, better filtering, any jitter figured out etc), as it was already pretty good. That’s all.. Not for one nano-second do I trust anyone who says the earth moves with a component change - something else must be fundamentally weak.

Audiolab 6000CDT has a buffer which helps considerably MSRP ~ $700

I understand they are very good but I don't like slot loading.  Trays aren't much better.

I'm so superficial.

@charles1dad I got a LPS about 5 or 6 weeks ago and its just improved to silly good level.

At this price point I’m quite disappointed that Pro-Ject does not include an internal linear power supply.

Should there be disadvantages with this approach I must have blinked.

What pearls of wisdom did you discover in your recent LPS research and adventure? I know very little about the nuances of external LPS units, so another learning curve I guess.

And now I see that Terry London has written about this error of judgement in his review, but doesn't quite get to mentioning internal PS.  

I'm currently trying to digest his word block, deliberately designed to make my three neurons fight with each other.  And I'm not even dyslexic.

From the review by Mr London -

An audiophile who will spend $3,000 on a dedicated CD transport would be very motivated to spend a bit more to get the maximum performance out of the Box RS2 transport.

.....I contacted Mark Schneider, owner of one of my favorite companies, Linear Tube Audio,......They also make very high-quality linear power supplies that can be customized for other companies’ gear. I had Mark take their LPS+ linear power supply and change it from a 12V/3Amp to a 20V/3Amp to match the Box RS2 transport input level, along with building a DC umbilical cable. Total cost, $645.

This for a custom made external LPS. In my experience custom made are much more expensive (and not just in $ terms - yours and my time to research and talk and research, perhaps travel, etc. It adds up) than a supplied component due to one off tooling costs and so on.

And after all that, it is still external. I maintain that it is false economy to not include an internal LPS. Like saving pennies on an heirloom.

Still, well within comfort boundaries compared with the prices of other technologically comparable units - those prices are so far away as to make any comparison like apples to oranges.

The Pro-Ject engineers would design one that is optimal for the transport. I would suggest that this would be "better" than a generic one that is designed to fit around the product rather than specifically for it.

So, we agree -

The cherry on top is one can further extend the sound quality if they decide at some point to add a LPS. This is a splendid scenario as far as I am concerned.

@charles1dad Pro-Ject specifically wanted a small footprint package (Their "Box" concept). Adding an internal LPS they reasoned is inevitably going to increase the physical package (Which they are seeking to avoid).

OK, thankyou, I didn’t know that.

This makes everything I’ve said irrelevant. Too late to delete everything now.

Also, I agree with the logic that people who buy the Pro-Ject will possibly be of such a disposition to wish to personalise it according to their own perhaps unconventional preferences.

You have described this for people like me who are a bit slow to hear the penny drop. I would like that choice too, having thought about it for a nano-second - my thought process often goes on tangents rather than a straight line. It is aspects like the ability to customise which make the journey enjoyable and maybe cerebral.