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Your top ten CD transport???

Recently i replaced my CEC TL1 who is almost die by a DIRONDO cd transport to soon to give you any comment about that because my JADIS JS1 dac is on a trip to France to be updated for the MK3 status!
BURMESTER 979, MBL,and the one that impress me the most was the METRONOME KALISTA top load dreaming unit.
Which way those transports could have a sonic signature because it is only data going in a serial bit of 0 and 1 ?
Also in your top ten list: top load or drawer?
So lets show your top ten!!!!
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dazzdax
599 posts
 
Steve, when one is using the Northstar transport, it is necessary to use a DAC with I2S input to get the best results. But there aren't so many around with this input.

Chris
tabl10s's avatar
tabl10s
1,077 posts
 
Steve
What do you think of balanced digital connections?
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
"Steve, when one is using the Northstar transport, it is necessary to use a DAC with I2S input to get the best results.?"

It will outperform all S/PDIF transports using I2S after it is modded. That is probably enough motivation to use I2S.

"What do you think of balanced digital connections?"

They can be better than some stock S/PDIF interfaces. Depends entirely on the input circuit in the DAC. Some convert immediately to single-ended, so there is no benefit at all for the AES/EBU over the S/PDIF. Once I mod the S/PDIF interface, it is just as good as the AES. Usually, if both interfaces are designed correctly, the AES will sound better due to the common-mode rejection. Still not as good as an I2S interface though.

Steve N.
clio09
3,355 posts
 
Dazzdax, it is not necessary to use the I2S interface to get best results. I have had excellent results with the RCA and XLR outputs as well. Using the XLR output the transport can upsample to 24/96 if you wish, which my current Monarchy M24 DAC can read. I use a Creative Cable Concepts Silver Bullet for the RCA digital cable and the new Music Note (from Star Sound Technology) for the XLR digital cable.

I just bought the North Star DAC because I'm very interested in comparing my current cables to the I2S interface. With the I2S output the North Star will allow me to upsample to 24/192 as well if I wish. I predominantly prefer plain old Redbook, but I'm having some fun with the flexibility the transport provides.
tmhaudio
122 posts
 
Interesting thread. We sure like the Metronome Kalista....a lot! I've always been an analog guy until Kalista. Easily the most strikingly beautiful piece of audio gear I've ever dealt with - Museum of Modern Art aesthetics.

To comment on Teajays notes - I had a chnace to audition an acoustic arts and Kalista and the diff was heard in the first note.
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