A phenomenal new CD transport-Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 transport


I have had in-house for the last week Pro-Ject's new CD Box RS2 transport to review for the website Stereo Times. I was very curious to assess its performance because it uses the Pro 8 drive with the Blue Tiger CD-84 servo card. This drive was developed and built by StreamUnlimited a company started by the original Phillips designers that historically built the finest CD mechanisms. Only two other companies use the StreamUnlimited 8 drive and Blue Tiger CD-84 servo card, their pieces cost $16,000 and $39,000 compared to Pro-Ject's sane price of $3,000!

My reference for the last two years has been the excellent Jay's Audio MK-II transport that had out-performed much more expensive highly regarded transports in my system. Well, across every sonic parameter  (transparency/micro-details-overall dynamics/bottom-end extension/purity of tonality- a much more airy sound-stage with wonderful 3D imaging) compared to the Jay's Audio transport.

That's way I titled this thread a "phenomenal new CD transport" because while not inexpensive, it just might be a bargain based on its performance. Mind you, this superlative level of performance is based on using the switching power supply that Pro-Ject ships the transport with. I have shortly coming a custom 20 watt 3 amp linear power supply from Linear Tube Audio and Pro-Ject's own upgraded power supply to see if the RS2 transport performance will even go to a higher qualitative level of performance.

I'll be writing a full detailed review for Stereo Times in the near future. However, I wanted to share this information to GON members who still spin CDs. I have had numerous CD transports in for evaluation and this just might be the best sounding of all of them.

Teajay (Terry London)




amorstereo
“Is there any concern that the Pro-ject cd transport only weighs 6 pounds?”

That is part of what makes it so phenomenal. 

"That is part of what makes it so phenomenal."

Hard to argue against this.
I have a favorable bias toward heavier, solid and robust components but there are always exceptions. In regard to the Pro-Ject, light weight doesn’t imply cheap and flimsy.

In the link I provided above the attention to detail, design and choice of solid aluminum and carbon fiber inspire confidence in high quality construction. Much focus on structural  rigidity and on isolation from vibration It doesn’t weigh 40 or 50 pounds because it doesn’t have to in order to be "phenomenal" . Owners of this transport certainly appear to support that conclusion.
Charles

Its refreshing to read of a component that performs with such apparent fidelity that doesn’t necessitate the sale of a kidney! 
So I just pulled the trigger on the  Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 transport. I have just about 1000 CD's and using an OPPO UDP-205 as a transport to my Bryston BDA-3 DAC betters my Aurender N100H. I can only imagine what the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 transport will do.