Esoteric PS-0, Metronome Kalista, Burmester 969 ?

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.

My pleasure, Rademaker.

thx so far guys

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!

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.

I hear DSD is good; however, the absolutely best I've ever heard/experienced is analogue tape.

I agree with Trendy. My uncle sold a Kalista not too long ago. It was one of the best transports he ever owned even trumping his CEC TLO MK II BUT his PS Audio P.W.T./P.W.D. beat both of them. He is now considering going the mac imac as music server route. I have already sold my transports and gone strait to music files, in most cases, it simply sounds better than any transport I have ever used/owned, in some cases the transport equals the music server. I would never drop big dollars on a transport as the writing is on the wall, but to each his own :)

Buying a very expensive CD transport in 2009, knowing that any 400$ computer will sound at least as good is a strange idea.

I have an Esoteric P0s in my system...it has my vote!

What's an "underneath" CD transport?

Burmester

I own a CEC TL0 X wich i am very satisfy....
What's about the reliability of Metronome gears and also the retaillers in the States ???
Also metroneme gear seem to do not hold their value on the used market...