Suggest Transports that can be Demo'd at home


I'm quite happy with my system (Silverline 17.5 monitors/Wells Majestic integrated/Aqua La Voce II/Jolida JD100 (as transport) but am wondering whether I ought to purchase another transport before they're no longer available.
$3000 would be my limit, budget-wise and longevity is a big concern. Used is OK, as long as unit is M. 

I have two caveats which make this tough-- 1) as a rule, I don't purchase any gear I can't first demo at home and 2)
I'd ideally prefer something made in N. America. Of these two qualifiers, the second is negotiable, but not the first.

I could demo a Bryston BCD-3 from Audio Advisor, but I'm not sure it makes sense to pay for a unit that includes a DAC I won't use. Also, I came across a comment in the Forums that the Bryston has fatiguing highs-- a flaw I particularly abhor. And, it's considerable over my budget. 

The Moon Neo 260D is not, as far as I can tell. possible to audition at home and I read on one of the AGon transport discussion threads that the drawer is flimsy. 

The Jay's Audio products look to be very good but I didn't see anything on their site about a trial period. 

A used PS Audio is a possibility, I guess, although I read that they used Oppo transports, which are no longer being made, so that's a concern from the longevity stand-point. 

 Any other units I should be aware of ??????????????

Thanks. 


stuartk
No, it was Audio Union.  But, after talking with Pascal it seemed like the TL5 would be difficult to source.  I wasn't interested in the higher up models.
Which is why I went for a Teac 5020 based unit.  CDPRO2 drives are out of production.
Bluesound Vault II. Can’t believe I waited as long as I did to get one. Using my Cambridge 851C as a DAC only. Once you try it you’ll never go back. Feed it your CD’s and control them from your tablet or smartphone. You don’t have to jump into a streaming service at first but you will... you will. I’m floored how good this thing sounds; the internal DAC is pretty good but I prefer the DAC in the Cambridge which is noticeably better. I bought the previous model direct from the Bluesound site for $800 compared to $1200 for the new unit.
adg10: I've thought about going with one of the similar units by Innuos of Portugal, but I don't own a smart-phone or tablet and frankly, the prospect of having to use one to operate my audio system is not appealing. I'm idiosyncratically more inclined to put off the computerized route for as long as I can but thanks for the suggestion. 



georeghifi


I read your comment about CXC Vs. Moon 260T ( not 260D with built in DAC) and must disagree . I owned the CXC which is a great transport for its price but felt that is not exactly hi end gear and after less than 2 years
of use I ordered the Moon 260T (dedicated transport without the build in dac of the 260D which cost 1K more) and the difference is substantial it’s a true high end transport the sound is much "clean" and clear,every note is more accurate. It’s more organic and natural.
It was the first time I felt my digital sources now really sound analog and I am not missing my vinyl collection anymore.
Yes the difference between their prices is huge but the improvement the Moon 260T provide to my system justifies the cost.