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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
soix
9,554 posts
 
According to Bel Canto website, that cdp you suggested is no longer being made, as the drives are no longer available.  I'd be nervous purchasing a unit for which no drives were available, in case of failure.

Couple thoughts.  Bel Canto may have a supply of replacement parts.  You can probably check with them on this.  Also, you're buying this at less than 50% of retail, so if you get several years of use out of it, you're not out all that much.  Last, the thing really feels like it's overbuilt, and there is no flimsy drawer to fail.  It's a top-mounted unit.  Jitter is stated to be 250 femtoseconds -- most transports are stated in picoseconds.  Just saying, might be well worth the risk, especially if BC has replacement parts -- assuming you'd even ever need them. 

stuartk OP
2,866 posts
 
soix2: how did I miss the top-loading aspect ? ! Can I blame that on age ? Thanks for pointing that out and for the suggestion that BC may have parts. 

bigkidz: very pertinent input, especially considering that we both have R2R Ladder DACs. Thanks. 
stuartk OP
2,866 posts
 
Wrap-up: Given the current trend away from physical media and the lack of consensus as to how long manufacturers of transports/CDPs might continue to stock parts, I'm unwilling to gamble on spending 3-4K to upgrade in that direction. At the same time, I'm in no hurry to jump into computer audio. If I had unlimited funds to lavish on audio or harbored a fondness for frequently buying/selling gear, it might be a different story. As neither is the case, I can't see a way to go that's more practical than hanging on to what I've got until the Jolida gives up the ghost, and then, moving to a server... barring the unlikely event of a transport/CDP "renaissance", due to some sort of technical break-through we can't yet foresee. In the meantime, I offer my thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. 
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
stuartk OP
I’m unwilling to gamble on spending 3-4K to upgrade in that direction.
I can’t see a way to go that’s more practical than hanging on to what I’ve got until the Jolida gives up the ghost


Ah, you have the Jolida, this is a TNT Audio review of the Cambridge CXC $600 in Australia, and it happens the reviewer owned the Jolida, here’s what he said when he compared them
" To say there is a big difference would not be an exaggeration, the CXC clearly reads better than the Jolida. Playing music that had been ripped to the server via pc was always cleaner than the Jolida, which I had put down to the effects of the valve output and DAC. Comparing digital out on the Jolida to the CXC there is a vast difference with the Cambridge extracting more information (detail, air and ambient space) and less fuzziness (or cleaner sound). The CXC also trumps the sound of the same disc ripped via pc to the server."
https://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/cambridge_cxc_e.html

Cheers George
itzhak1969
515 posts
 
@stuartk

If you are on tight budget the CXC is the best option you’ll find.it’s an excellent transport for its price. I used the CXC for 2 years till I bought the Moon 260T which is clearly better however not a day and night difference between them.I didn’t sell my CXC and keep it as a backup if something happened to my 260T.
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