Your top ten CD transport???

Sonic signature is due to:

1) jitter differences
2) impedance matching
3) signal edge-rate differences

My current favorite is the Northstar Transport using the I2S interface with some simple I2S mods (from Italy). The I2S leaves all of the S/PDIF transports in the dust IMO.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Manufacturer

Rocc1007, the Kalista is one of the best sounding transports in the world, it should be for almost $30000.00! However I would recommend the Accustic Arts Drive1-MK2, which costs $6000.00, as a very competitive for alot less money.

I have owned or auditioned the ML-30.5, CEC TL-0, Ensemble Dirondo in my system, and think the Drive1-MK2 out performed them all. It's beautifully built, very fairly priced and offers performance that's at a reference level.

Hello Steve (emperical audio manufacturer), so how it come when comparing few transports with the same cable (digital) there is sonic difference also i was told that a BNC digital cable induce less Jitter this mean better for digital application???
I actualy use a NIRVANA BNC digital of 1 1/2 meter in lenght.....

Or something that stacks up for those of us on a more modest budget ...

... the Empiracle Audio modded Sony 7700 DVD player. It consistently competes in the top end with those transports that run into the stratosphere.

Enjoy,
Bob

"how it come when comparing few transports with the same cable (digital) there is sonic difference also i was told that a BNC digital cable induce less Jitter this mean better for digital application???"

Simple. The BNC connector is only a small part of the "system" that must transfer the digital signal. The output buffers have a characteristic called "rise time", which will vary significantly from one transport to the next. Also, the output impedance of the transport is hardly ever exactly 75 ohms, as the spec requires. In fact most transports are way off the 75 ohms impedance spec. These things will cause reflections and uncertainty in the detection of the signal transitions, and this causes more jitter in one transport than another. The cable is only one part of the equation. This is why my customers pay me typically ~$1300 to mod their transports. It is to fix these things.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio