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Differences between cd transports?

Howdy,I borrowed a dedicated CD transport (Musical Fidelity) from a friend. I have found that music sounds much better with his transport than with the CD player I’ve been using to spin CDs. In both cases, I am using exactly the same DAC via the optical out connection from the transport and the CD player. So: is there any rational reason that, using the same digital to analog converter, one CD spinner should sound much better than another?Thanks!  
rebbi
mzkmxcv
777 posts
 
@kijanki 
 
Some DACs perform better with Toslink than USB/coax/etc., so a blanket statement about which input is best for a specific DAC can’t be made. 
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,417 posts
 
Assuming transports are working properly, there is also often errors in reading optical discs in real time as CD players must do, especially with poor quality, defective, or damaged discs that can affect results differently from transport to transport.

What Mapman said.
I’ll add the standard being used to transfer the datastream to the DAC; the use of USB, SPDIF coax, AES, or optical. Also the quality of the cable: ie, how well a SPDIF cable faithfully transfers data without adding jitter.

And IME, the design of the transport; I went from using an NAD CDP as a transport to an ARC which was a major upgrade in SQ, both as a CD and as a transport. My quality of playback increased again since adding a PS Audio memory player.


kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 
Some DACs perform better with Toslink than USB/coax/etc., so a blanket statement about which input is best for a specific DAC can’t be made.
That's why I said "often". 
tweak1
3,655 posts
 
I have an Oppo 105 that I was using with a quality WireWorld toslink. I upgraded it’s input IEC and silver wire to the power supply and later I replaced the OEM power supply with a Linear Power Module, but was not happy with the sound, so I bought a Marantz HD CD 1 to use as a transport. When I replaced the toslink with a TOL WireWorld Coax the Marantz took a giant step forward.

I finally got around to hooking my Oppo 105 back up, this time with the Coax. Coax is so much better on these 2 players used as transports. I doubt there is a transport where toslink would sound better. Some newer high end transports no longer include toslink
bigkidz
3,381 posts
 
Um parts quality and power supply add to why one sounds better than the other, then there is the laser, plus tray loading or top clamp.  For example, a few CD transports have a separate power supply like the old Audiomeca and Metronome ones.  You can read about some of this on the Lampinzator (spelling) website or thereabouts.

Happy Listening   
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