Review: PS Audio Lambda two Transport


Category: Digital

This transport was my first 'transport only' cd player...and it very well may be my last. I bought it with the PS Audio SL Three DAC and am amazed that this unit did not get more critical acclaim. I lent it to a friend with a Conrad Johnson CD-1 for a weekend and the result was him looking for a new transport.

I?d always thought that the DAC was the more important of the two pieces, but was very surprised at the difference that a good transport can make. At the time I acquired this, I was using a Rega Planet and doing an 'A/B' test between the Planet and Lambda reveled some really remarkable differences.

My only wish is for a nicer remote. Maybe something more indicative of a $2,000 transport. I've read that a few people had problems with the mechanics of this unit, and I hope it is not a problem for me.

The Lambda Two is very punchy and detailed. Never overwhelming. Seems to stay pretty neutral in whatever CD is in it. I have everything from FatBoy-Slim to Diana Krall in my CD collection so I needed a real nice "all around" player and I think I found it in the Lambda Two. I think this is one piece of equipment that won't get 'upgraded' any time soon.

Associated gear
PS Audio SL Three DAC
Classe' CP-47.5 Preamp
Classe' CA-201 Amp
ProAc Tablette 2000 Speakers
ZuCable WAX Speaker wire
ZuCable Varial XLR Interconnects

Similar products
Rega Planet (v1)
Theta Perl
Sony XA20ES
cpttripps
Actually I am running a Ultra Link 2 modified of course like everything else I own.. I have had in house a Audio Note..Recently have tried a one box Krell SACD that sounded really great on redbook cd's... That was a first for me, a SACD that played the standard stuff really well actually better that the PS pieces..The PS pieces killed the $3500 Sony SACD player a friend brought by..The winter time problem with the PS was the chuck of the loading mechanisum would not pick up the cd..Repeated attempts were required. It was as if the disc was not there to be seen or found... The problem as told to me was a communication problem caused from static charge between a ribbon cable and the chassis..Tom
Theaudiotweak -
What DAC are you running on yours? How would you compare your digital front end to some of the one box players out there? I'm also not clear what you mean by the stalling, is it a short in a wire?
I use the same transport. Excellent piece..From what I read several years ago this transport has some of the lowest jitter measurements ever reported by Stereophile. The loading system can stall sometimes, only in the winter. This may be caused by static electricity.Cure is to put electrical tape between the inside chassis base and the ribbon cables that may touch the base..Tom
I am wondering if you could post a follow-up. Have you had any mech. problems with your unit?