looking for the best cd transport only, without dac

I have a Hegel H160 with inbuilt DAC and I'm looking for cd transport recommendation for $1000 or so. I have Harbeth SHL5 + and like an open and transparent sound. I've considered PS Audio PWT and other used options. I'm currently using my $75 Sony bluray player for transport and surprised how good it sounds. I've auditioned transports like Marantz and Cambridge. Options like Primare and Audionote I have't been able to listen to, the latter ones used to get closer to price point. There is also the Oppo 203, but wonder about quality of sound sacrifices in jack of all trades box? When I have compared the few transports I've tried the sound quality differences were quite subtle. So have people here done some serious comparisons of sound quality of just transports and have any great recommendations? Thanks

ckharbeth10-30-2017 2:39pm

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geoffkait Details Discussions Posts This discussion 23,365 posts 11-02-2017 at 09:21pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Yes, ideally. The Reed Solomon error detection correction function should catch all errors. Ideally. Of course we know that's not (rpt not) true.
rja Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 2,370 posts 11-02-2017 at 10:22pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete CEC offers a full range of CD transports.
stevizzy Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 114 posts 11-03-2017 at 12:53am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete A few years ago I was looking into getting a CD Transport to use with my Bryston DAC to replace an aging Oppo NewForce BluRay Player. I tried several until I read the TAS article about a Simaudio Neo260D. The transport was very nice indeed. When I finally listened to the DAC in the 260D, I sold my Bryston DAC. The transport is $2000, but I’d recommend spending the extra $1K for the DAC, it’s that good.
jbuhl Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 959 posts 11-03-2017 at 02:46am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete My Denon CDP crapped out so I employed my Sony BDP-S350 Blu ray player and didn't notice a drop off. I go digital out to a Wadia 321 DAC. I demo'd a CXC and compared it head to head with the Sony and could not notice a compelling difference to warrant an upgrade. Digital out Sony still sounds better than Deezer Elite >Sonos W4S-mods>Wadia. But I would really like to get my hands on the 260d or a PS Audio transport and try that. Barns and Noble has select CD's for $5 for gods sake.
whart Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 3,019 posts 11-04-2017 at 12:11am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I’m a piker when it comes to serious digital playback of music. Long time vinyl guy (since 1965!, although my turntable then wasn’t quite in the same league as what I’ve been using over the past decade or three). I’m now seriously considering that new CEC TL5. I don’t have a DAC yet, and am looking at R2R type (chip), non-oversampling, no digital filters type. My more sophisticated (in digital) friends tell me forget the transport- rip and set up a network, you can stream, do hi-rez, etc. I’ve never been bothered by physical media. Frankly, the less complicated, the better. Although I can use a computer, I don’t really want to add networking and computer issues to my playback. I’ll admit- I’m a luddite. And I’m still not sure what to expect- my vinyl quality playback is top notch, my record cleaning is pretty intense (I buy mostly old pressings) and my ear is very attuned to digital artifacts. But, the main reason I "need" to go digital is simply access to music, and particularly older rare records where the cost is now astronomical. Leaf Hound Growers of Mushroom = $6k dollars for an original pressing. I don’t believe there are any legitimate* reissues on vinyl. See for Miles label of that recording on CD, done in 1992, and taken from the tape (they let the tapes out for 3d party licensing in those days) cost me 30 bucks. Not an "audiophile" record, but for my needs, I’d like to maximize Redbook. *NB- there is a Repertoire vinyl reissue. These are taken from digital files. At some point, it will be interesting to compare that copy with the CD taken from tape.