Esoteric PS-0, Metronome Kalista, Burmester 969 ?

I have listened to analog tape on some very very expensive (huge) pro mastering reel to reel unit and I bought my first SACD (SCD-1) in 1998. SACD in my opinion is a dead format, and reel to reel is something I can't be bothered with. Hi-res files all the way and the occasional LP session will do it for me. I am not big into LP's as I have found my Bidat to be more desirable for playback than Lp's most of the time.

To you who think a $400 computer is at least as good as a top notch cd transport: I have tried Logitech Transporter with mod from Modwright, Apple Airport Express and several different server/PC solutions. None of these have ever come close to my Burmester 069 reference cd player. That is even when I use the digital input on the 069 and uses it as DAC only. Even the transport on 069 is way better than any harddisk solution I have tried so far. I can´t understand it, but certainly hear it!

thx so far guys

My pleasure, Rademaker.

I have heard Zanden 2000P, Esoteric X-01SE, Metronome Kalista and Kalista Reference. Also Krell 505, ARC CD8 and Wadia's REference from 2010. Not all in same system but all in 1 of 2 rooms, with equipment with which i was familiar. In general, with the amount of A/B'ing done which helped a lot...i would say the 3 servers i heard (QSonix, Uvem (former Chord music server designer) and of course Wadia i70) did not compare well to any of the above transports in a direct A/B. Not one...to my ears nor that of 5 seasoned audiophiles.

My favorite transport of the above are the Kalista Reference, X-01SE and 2000P.