What is the best transport?

The biggest, most pleasurable improvement in my system over the past decade was to replace the Wadia->Benchmark link with Windows 7->USB->Benchmark using flac and JRiver. I play the tracks from memory and bypass the Windows mixer/media player. Maybe the Benchmark just does better with USB, but there is nothing subtle about the changes...separation, clarity, nuance, weight, emotional connection, all snapped to a higher level.

Just because someone is passionate doesn't mean they are right. But what do I know, I'm someone who digitizes his vinyl.

Here is the other thread Dvavc refers to in his post above. The link opens at his initial post in that thread, which is followed by some interchanges between him and Steve N. of Empirical Audio, and some comments by me.

Regards,
-- Al

Onhwy61,
Agree, passionate doesn't mean right or wrong, just someone expressing a honest heart felt opinion. Thus my earlier tube/transistor analogy. All of this is merely subjective, choose what sounds best to you and be done with it.
Charles,

I also agree with Dvavc and Charles1dad. I also did some passionate posts online, similar to what Dvavc wrote.

It takes a great effort to get a good sound from a computer, but that also applies to a dedicated digital transport.

We have built a "super audio computer" that runs on a specially designed linear power supply that is built in another enclosure and there is umbilical cord between the two. This computer produces the best sound I've ever heard from a computer, but still lacks against my digital transport. Why?

The answer is simple; there are still tons of switching power supplies (the so called charge pumps) built into the Mother Board that supply your processor and memory. Disabling those and replacing them with linear power is almost next to impossible, unless we design our own Mother Board. Then we can argue that the computer might be as good as a dedicated digital transport that runs on pure linear power.

Also, l'd like to point out that a digital transport based on the newer digital processing has all those "bit-perfect" and "memory buffering" technologies available, just like any computer. :-)

Bottom line, IMHO, it is impossible to beat a well designed digital transport with a computer.

I record my vinyl in DSD format to SD card using a highly re-designed Tascam DA-3000 recorder. Then I use this for comparison against the vinyl on A-B test. The computer sounds good, but always sort of "glassy" and mechanical compared to the vinyl.

Vinyl rig is Kuzma newest Stabi M table with his 4Piont arm with Dynavector DV-XV1S cartridge that was perfectly aligned and fine-tuned to the arm and table by Kuzma factory. I personally haven't heard a turntable to sound like this. I never thought it is possible. :-)

Best wishes,
Alex Peychev
APL Hi-Fi