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Considering buying a CD transport

My current disc spinner is a Cambridge Audio 751BD which I'm now mostly (except for SACDs) using as a transport, as I vastly prefer the sound of my Bryston BDA1 DAC to what comes through the CA. Even through the Bryston DAC, CDs can sound shrill. The CA works extremely well for DVDs, Blu-ray discs and SACDs, but I don't think I'm enjoying my rather extensive CD collection as I should. Would a separate transport make enough difference to be worth considering? I've been reading reviews of the Cyrus CDt which are tempting, but I'd like to hear some real-world opinions first. Unfortunately, there are budgetary constraints, so I would like not to exceed about $2K.

The rest of the system: Hegel H200 integrated, Proac Response D2s, REL S2 sub, Clarus Aqua analog interconnects & speaker cables, Nordost coax.
cooper52
auxinput
2,920 posts
 

I have tried the Oppo BDP-83 (predecessor to the Cambridge/93) and it is a rather bright/harsh sounding transport. Even a really cheap Sony BDP bluray player has a vastly superior coax output (much smoother with more bass and body - less bright harshness). I’ve had bad experiences with earlier Pioneer bluray transports as well. You could try upgrading to a Oppo 103 (as these are much better as transports and it will send 24/192 over the coax! - also has much more music formats / streaming). At $500 and with the Oppo 30-day return policy, it’s almost a no risk / no brainer.

Bryston stuff can have a tendency to sound bright/shouty - try a fuse upgrade to something like a Isoclean or Synergistic RED. (The REDs have less resolution if you need to back off on the high frequencies) Make sure your digital coax is at least 1.5M (I use 6 feet). Shorter digital cables will cause reflections and the sound can be brighter - makes a mess of the sound.

Also, CD music may sound harsh/shrill due to the limited 16-bit resolution. A nice tube preamp (like mesch) or a Class A preamp can help tame and smooth over some of this very limited 16-bit resolution.

jpnalpha
2 posts
 

you can try getting second hand great cd players with good power supply and outputs such as audio research CD 3 or meridian 506 , 508 etc...

fantastic transports cheap and durable.

grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,500 posts
 
Charles1dad is right. If you want the very best sound quality, then the PS Audio PWT is it. It sounds wonderful even topping a couple of highly touted CEC players. 
dpetri's avatar
dpetri
36 posts
 
I am currently using a Cambridge CXC cd transport with an Auralic Vega DAC and for $500,  the CXC/Vega sounds much better than I expected.  I replaced an old Krell KV 300cd that could no longer be repaired.  I was going to buy an AYRE CD player but could not justify the cost.  Besides, who knows how long it will be supported by the manufacturer.

marcyun
15 posts
 
A transport could help. I don't think it will reduce the treble of CDs per se - you shouldn't be losing that information anyway - but it can make the highs sound smoother while solidifying the foundation of the music (mid-bass down) which will balance the sound. Usually high jitter/bad transports sound very thin and weak which makes any recording brightness harder to take. Think of it more in terms of overall balance rather than one particular thing. 

Your poor experience with Blu-Ray transports does not surprise me. The clock circuits in video players is a lot messier compared to a dedicated Redbook player/transport that only needs a fixed clock for 44.1k. 

I don't have a ton of experience with transports but the best I have used was a now-discontinued April Music Stello top-loading CD player. With a Monarchy NM24 DAC, it was miles better than a mid-priced audiophile CD player (maybe Atoll) that my friend had. But my Onkyo DX-7555 CD player, which has a "high precision clock," was a close second and made a very musical transport that I was happy with. Unfortunately I tossed it because it was too big to fit in my cabinet, and replaced it with the cheaper C-7030 (~$150) which isn't nearly as good. I'd be willing to bet their C-7070 (~$700) is a pretty good transport for the money, but in that price range the Cambridge CXC is probably a better bet - it's on my list to try. 

Another thing to try is a PLL/signal conditioner like the Monarchy Audio DIP. Get the Classic one, without oversampling. It greatly reduces the gap between a mediocre and good transport and can add a lot of body to the sound. And yes, SPDIF cables do make a difference, as much as I hate to admit.
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