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Does the Transport make a significant difference?

Had been running a squeezebox with my Audio Note 2.1 Dac. Tried my basic Oppo dvd player as a transport and yikes what an improvement - even over my $3,000 invested Modwright Sony player (a little rough round the edges but dynamic and live-ly sounding). So wondering if the mantra of having a great source is the best place to start ... ie matching the Dac to a quality transport say CEC TL 51 or open the vaults and spring for a quality Audio Note, Esoteric, or even dcs transport will be worth the investment. How does this compare with say upgrading your amp or speakers or even cables? I know I should listen for myself but any good experience out there to draw on before I start getting crazy about checking out the used adverts?
ladavid
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
Intuitively you would think it would. I am in no position to judge as I have been using Meridian 200 and 600 transports for years. Every time I change my decoder the transports sound better so I can't really say if they are a limitation or not. Some think it makes little difference; Anthony Michaelson of Musical Fidelity , whose TriVista 21 I am currently using , says it makes no difference. This was in one of Sam Tellig's corner in Stereophile. The interconnect does makes a difference. I would try to borrow a top transport and see if you could hear a large difference. I would try the cable first as it the cheapest. Since you don't say what the rest of your system is I can't advise there. But one thing to remember is to take your time. For everyone who regrets missing a good deal there are 10 who would like to undo a purchase.
fplanner2000
616 posts
 
I agree with Stanwal above. As you have already proven to yourself, the transport does make a difference. How much of a difference will depend upon the rest of your system.

In conjunction with trying to borrow/demo a top transport, I would also give the Cable Company a call, explain your situation and borrow some cables according to their advice. That would probably be the best place to start, give you the biggest bang for minimal dollars and the broadest exposure to many brands and types of cables. They are easy to work with when they're not too busy. Your most important cables in this case will probably be the interconnects from the transport, but you may hear other opinions as well - its really pretty system-dependent. Most importantly, trust your own ears. Hope this helps.
tricka
11 posts
 
Hi there
The SB3 in stock form is a fairly average transport and improves a great deal with a simple pulse transformer mod to clean up the RF. I prefer my modded SB3 as a transport to my Transporter (although AES out is very close).
Equally important is a good cable - not necc expensive but good in terms of a match. I use a $5 cable which sounds better than some $300 IC's I tried.
No question that Transports designed to work with a purpose built Dac eg Esoteric, dCS etc will give you significant improvements in resolution - the issue is whether the rest of your system will let you hear it.
Cheers
Andrew
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