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If you still spin CD's their is a reference level Transport for reasonable money

I just got in-house the Jay's Audio CDT-2 MK3 transport to review for hometheaterreview.com.  The build quality and physical appearance make it hard to believe that it retails for around $2,400.  Right out of the crate not even broken in yet, it's out performing my CEC double belt transport in the reference system.  It retains all the liquidity and analog smoothness of the belt driven transport but offers more details, tighter bass frequencies, and a larger layered soundstage with more air between the players.

Alvin, of Vinshine Audio set this review up with me, so if you go to his website you can get a lot more details/pictures on this transport.  The reason I was motivated to review a CD transport was I received scores of requests from my readers asking what is a great sounding transport, for a reasonable amount of money.  So far, in spades the Jay's Audio CDT-2 MK3 fits the bill easily.   
teajay
aolmrd1241
1,042 posts
 

teajay said... "Hey audiolabyrinth,I totally agree that you can speculate on which transport would sound better. However, I have heard the latest generation of the PS Audio DS transport and I prefer what the Jay’s Audio CDT-2 MK-2 does in my system with my DAC."


The DMP’s latest FPGA OS update takes the sound quality of the transport to a much higher playback level.. Cleaning up the loose ends in the old code has turned the DMP into a formidable contenter of being one of the best sounding transports available today...Paired with the DS dac[via hdmi]...the music is sublime. Also..more updates yet to come...8)
brayeagle
362 posts
 
With an extensive collection of RedBook classical CDs, over the last three years i've tried several brands of CD  players, and transport /DAC combinations

Finally found my answer, FWIW

http://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/review/digital-reviews/cd-player-reviews/bryston-bcd-3-cd-player/
 
Just a thought.
audiolabyrinth's avatar
audiolabyrinth
4,555 posts
 
Hi aolmrd1241,  I  have the latest fpga  up date on the ps audio direct stream memory dac and matching transport,  also the latest new transport with the new firm ware 3.06, the fpga is 0.02,,, I just got a brand new transport after sending the other one back,  just now got 200 hrs on the transport,  the other one stopped working because the firm ware would not work with new up dated transport in the transport , I  ignore silly comments like teajjay said,  Although I respect the gentleman,  an example of what I'm saying here, It is silly to believe a red book only transport will sound better than a transport that up samples all red book to dsd, hope you believe that as well,  cheers 🎼🎶🎵
teajay OP
1,691 posts
 
Hi audiolabyrinth,

Thanks for calling me a gentleman and respecting me.  However, your statement that for me to say, based on actual listening experience, that it is "silly" that a transport that just delivers standard Red book cannot sound better then a transport that up samples red book to DSD raises the question that higher sampling rates are superior sonicly to red book sampling rate.  My reference DAC only does Red book using NOS chips and I find it's presentation much more musical then DSD based DACS.  
snopro
392 posts
 
Hey Mike, Let us know how the I2s works between the transport and the Denafrips terminator dac. I think it suppose to be the best input for the Terminator.

I use the Terminator with the PS Audio Memory Player using the I2s connections and it sounds really good. 
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