pro-ject cd box rs2 vs jays audio cd2 mk3

That's interesting.  Mine is absolutely silent even if standing right over it while it's playing.

Charles 

So, I've beed following this and other Pro-Ject CD Box threads. What I have read convinced me to purchase one. I ordered last Sunday from Upscale Audio (terrific customer service, btw). They promptly shipped, and I awaited a Friday delivery. 

It arrived! I rushed home from work, doing my best to obey speed limits and full stops at stop signs. Took about 20 minutes to set-up. Tete Montoliu in the tray. First impressions-Incredible!

PRAT-best I have experienced

Depth of the soundstage.

The speakers disappear. 

Attack and decay-wow!

Presence and the "weight" of the instruments-the space between instruments has dimensionality. I am in the room with the musicians. 

The drums have full presence. And this is just one CD out of the box.

Compared to my Cambridge transport (which is very good at its price point), what an upgrade!

If you all could see the smile on my face.

Stay tuned...

I bought an open box RS2 transport from Music Direct and it was a lemon.  It had great trouble locking on disc's.  The problem was present when it came in but got progressively worse to the point that I had to return it.  Jays audio transport is built much better.  It is also available while the RS2 is not.  My compromise will be to get another Jays audio transport and have my modder upgrade it including building a state of the art linear power supply.  I will sell my excellent linear tube audio power supply for the RS2.  

Jumping ahead to late December 2021, I can say from personal experience that the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T is STUNNINGLY better-sounding than the Jay's Audio CD2-MK3 transport, even when the Jay's is linked to my Holo Audio MAY KTE DAC via its i2s HDMI-style interface! 

My Pro-Ject CD Box is connected to my Holo Audio MAY DAC by the best-available method, AES/EBU, using a Shunyata Research Alpha Digital v2 AES/EBU 2-meter cable, and "this combo beats the pants off" the Jay's. 

What really gets to me is that before I ordered my Jay's Audio MK3 CD transport, I did a LOT of searching-around on the Internet for the best value-for-money CD Transport out there, and the Jay's Audio unit was the only one I could find.

Later, quite by accident, I chanced across a reference on Audiogon.com to the Pro-Ject CD Box. Before, I had NO idea it existed! As it happens, during my search for reviews of the CD Box, I found one for sale here in Chicago, at Music Direct, so I grabbed it out of sheer curiosity, knowing i could return it if I didn't like it. 

I've had the Pro-Ject CD Box unit for just day, and I'm already literally overwhelmed by the detail I am hearing from my large CD collection, detail no other player or transport I have ever owned has been able to retrieve.

Now I'm in the regrettable position of knowing that I'm going to have to sell my Jay's Audio MK3 transport. It is a beautifully-made piece of audio gear - so it's a downright SHAME that Jay's didn't opt to use the new cutting-edge Philips-based-design CD mechanism used in the Pro-Ject unit. The build-quality of the Jay's Audio CD transport is exemplary - so it's unfortunate indeed that they based it on an obsolete, no-longer-manufactured CD drive and optical mechanism. Seems Jay's Audio scarfed up all the world's remaining stock of this obsolete drive, so they're good to go for a while to come, but the SONIC RESULTS the Jay's Audio MK3 produces come in a distant second to the CD Box RS2 T's. 

Hard to believe a humble CD transport mechanism can make THAT much of a sonic difference, but the proof of that is right here in front of us.

@ jaymark:  I am so sorry you had such a disappointing experience with your Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T.  There had to be a reason why Music Direct was selling it "open box."  I live right here in Chicago so I deal with Music Direct in person, and they will stand behind you 100% and get your money back, 

Seems you've given up on the Pro-Ject unit, and I don't blame you for doing so after your experience of it - but if you get a good NEW working example of it, and your experience is anything like mine has been, you won't be disappointed!