Aqua 'La Diva' ($9k) or Gryphon 'Ethos' ($39k) versus. Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T ($3k)?
What sensible rationale is there for buying either of the two above-mentioned VERY COSTLY CD spinners (Aqua ’La Diva,’ a CD-only transport, and the Gryphon ’Ethos,’ a CD player with built-in DAC) when we can get the same pure Red-Book CD digital output from the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T for FAR less money?
What is a potential buyer getting for their significantly increased expenditure other than fancy packaging and possibly a boost to their egos from ownership of a prestige brand-name item? The one component (and a crucially-significant one at that) which all three of these products have in common is the new Philips-based Stream Unlimited CD Pro 8 CD player mechanism. Aside than that, what one appears to get with the two far-higher-priced components is little more than pure window-dressing, not substantive gains in performance over the CD Box RS2 T.
It is little wonder that one reviewer of the RS2 T thinks of it as nothing less than a "giant killer," in that it makes it nearly impossible for any level-headed purchaser, even one with the means to spend lavishly, to rationalize spending thousands of dollars more on these two competing products (or on others like them) when one can get the same sonic results (which from most reports are splendid) from the humble little CD Box.
Any thoughts? Do we audiophiles finally have good reason to come to our buying senses? To me, Pro-Ject Audio Systems may have struck a true winning vein with their CD Box when prospecting for gold.
@tommylion - you are missing out on a great transport (Pro-Ject RS2 T) by not considering it because of a lack of programability. Doesn’t make sense to me to give up great sound for functionality that I would use for perhaps one out of a couple hundred CDs. Even then I could just use the skip track button to get what I need. I have only seen programability on lower end CD players, which I never used when I owned one back in the 80s. |
I obviously don’t know for sure but this is a very plausible explanation. Charles |
@ charles1dad and anyone else interested in reports of improvements to the sound from their Pro-Ject RS2 T CD Boxes by powering them with a linear power supply instead of the included switching wall wart: Here’s how I describe my experience so far - I just received my Linear Tube Audio Model LPS + power unit, customized to supply 20 volts D.C. rated at 3 amperes to my CD Box. First of all, Linear Tube Audio was excellent at fulfilling my order in a very prompt and timely manner - to me they represent the kind of honest business that we can all be proud of - they "delivered the goods." On their website they say that they break in their power supplies before they ship them so that their users can enjoy their full benefits right out of the box. In the 24 hours since I received it yesterday and connected it to my little CD transport, I can say that I immediately had the sensation of hearing a more solid "underpinning" to the sound - that the CD Box is now resting upon a far more solid "foundation" than the one offered by its little wall wart (which is still adequate). The QUALITY of electric power appears to make a big difference to how well the Pro-Ject RS2 T transport performs and sounds - my way of describing the improvement in sound I’ve experienced so far is analogous to the difference between a misty spray of water, full of air bubbles, coming from a faucet versus a steady, clear flow of water, both supplied at the same pressure (20 volts). It’s like the transport NEEDS and TAKES FULL ADVANTAGE of the additional energy a good linear power supply is able to provide it. This is my way of describing the difference my new power supply is making - the music I’m hearing is coming from a SOLID FOUNDATION rather than from one made from squishy Styrofoam! A GOOD, well-designed linear power supply with ample power reserves is precisely what these CD Box transports appear to need to perform at their full capacity. I’m sure, broken-in as my new power unit is already claimed to be, it and my transport will continue to evolve sonically upward over time. I’m very happy with my fresh-out-of-the-box results so far. |
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Thanks for taking the time to report your early listening impressions with the Linear Tube Audio (LTA) power supply. You and I are using different brands of LPS but getting very similar positive results. This of course reinforces the significance of using high quality power for audio components. Every sonic parameter improves from A to Z. Both of us were highly impressed with the Pro-Ject RS2 transport powered by the stock wall wart SMPS. This excellent transport is pushed to a higher tier of sound quality when used with a high quality linear power supply. Charles |
