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Silly Question...does a transport have a "sound" ?

I'm thinking of upgrading to a dedicated transport (like an Accustic Arts Drive I, AM Mephesto II.X or even a ML 37) from the Sony DVP-9000es I'm using now. I'm locked in on my dac (Kora Heremes II), which I love.

My question is, do transports from different manufacturers have significantly audible "sonic signitures" that I should consider when deciding what to mate to the Kora? (e.g., hifi-ish/fast/cold/analytic vs. analog-like/polite/bloomy/warm).

To go even further down this slippery slope, are there discerable differences between, say, a Teac VRDS 3.2 mechanism and a Phillips CDM Pro2 or a C.E.C. belt drive?

I've read a lot of posts here and on AA that've provided some clues, but was wondering if anyone with significant experience with multiple brands of transports could share some of their experiences.

In other words, is the transport "sound/signiture" something worth paying a lot of attention too, or should I just worry about mechanical things like stability, isolation, etc. Thanks.
garyk
rockvirgo
587 posts
 
Using a musicbank Nakamichi CD Player 2 was convenient but as a transport with a Theta Pro Prime IIa DAC cymbals sounded separate from the rest of the music program, as if there was a gap between them and the rest of the music. Substituting a Theta Data Basic II resolved the glitch and made the whole stream sound coherent. So yes, transports do impact the sound.

The biggest worry with transports is reliability. On that score, buying new is a big advantage. Considering a $2,000 unit will need repair within 10 years or less, and be all but worthless if it's not maintained, that's $200 per year to listen to CD's!

Nowadays the industry seems focused on DVD/CD hybrids, not only as a selling point, but doubtless because the makers of CD-only mechanisms no longer support them. How many manufacturers still offer a CD-only dedicated transport at the $2,500 or less price point?
aroc
760 posts
 
Yes. now try to explain why "power cords" on tranports can have a "sound." Shouldn't make a difference based on common sense, but there is a difference, even if it's only subtle. But then again, so are any improvements in this hobby once you get past a certain equipment performance threshold (read: diminishing returns). But tha't what high-end is all about.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Absolutely, no question. I've modded a lot of transports and even stock, they vary significantly. It certainly has to do with the signal edge-rates and the output impedance accuracy, but even when these are "fixed", the sound is still different. I believe it has to do with the read lasers. Many of the older "CD-only" lasers seem to be much better sounding, such as the Sony DVP-S7700, which has dual-lasers. However the laser in the Pioneer DV-47A is also excellent.
drobbins
20 posts
 
Yes, transports have a "sound." They have a unique jitter signature that will affect your music. A jitter signature can have an impact on a particular frequency range. Besides the jitter signature (which is a BIG, IMPORTANT thing, try using the digital out from any $99 DVD player,) the transport should have no other way of influencing the "sound" of your system.
kjg
171 posts
 
Danlib, if you hear differences with different transports then one or all of them are bad transports. The bits on the CD are precise (most of the time), and the transport's job is to read and stream them accurately. If they do, all will sound the same. If not, then one or all are introducing random errors into the stream which cannot produce a predicatable audible change. The DAC decides what to do with the erroneous information and produces the sound. There are some common effects with streams that are specifically faster or slower than 44.1 khz, but really, why in the world would this be desirable when the music was encoded with precision at the specified frequency?

When you find several transports that sound the same on your DAC, its likely that they're good transports and are producing accurate streams. Hearing differences only indicates that problems exist. The same argument applies to cables, but that's another discussion.
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