Jay’s Audio CD Transport

@jackd Hello and thank you for your reply!  You have the unique experience of having been able to compare both the CDT2 and CDT3 side by side which is invaluable!  Thank you for taking the time to share your impressions with me and the others here.

Obviously, what you have heard are very desirable sonic traits to me.  On the one hand, trying to pony up the additional $2500 to get that is something to be considered and it's nice to know that if a person wasn't able to hear them side by side as you have that it is likely that person may be perfectly happy with the CDT2!

As I have mentioned.  I've been a strictly vinyl guy for roughly 50 years.  The thing that has kept me away from digital is that it oftentimes sounds hard and 2-dimensional to me. The performers have sounded like cardboard cutouts vs live human beings with flesh on the bones, so to speak.  Naturely, it is my hope that digital has improved greatly over the years, but if these are still the sonic attributes, it will be very difficult for me to throw much more money towards this medium.

I've have the LTA Aero Dac on order... should be here in about 3-4 weeks.  It is supposed to sound good for the $4000 outlay, some even say it punches above its weight class.  I have no idea... but I can say the fine folk at LTA are absolutely wonderful to work with!

So, I'm just trying to figure out which dedicated cd transport would be best suited for this dac.  Would the CDT2 be perfect for it?  Is this dac worthy of the CDT3 - meaning will it make much of a sonic difference spending the $5K vs $2500 on the transport?  Or would I need to have a much better dac to reap the benefits?

Also, taking a step backwards... will I notice a huge sonic benefit by having the CDT2 over that of just using my vintage Rotel 955ax cd player as a transport?

Thanks again for sharing you thoughts, experiences and any advice you can give me 

Best wishes,

Don

@pindac   Thank you for your replies!  Yes, I had also noticed said members discussion on another forum as well, regarding the Teac transport.  The external clock that he has used with the Teac cost multiples of that of the transport and just really doesn't make financial sense for someone looking for a relatively affordable cd transport solution.

Granted there must be more affordable clocking devices, but this is all so new to me that I wouldn't have a clue as to where to begin with this.  Ideally, I would just like to have an affordable cd transport that does it all without having to have multiple boxes or to have to spend multiple amounts of money.

Please share with us as you learn more as you continue on your journey!

Best wishes,

Don

@mbmi Thank you again for your reply!  I have also heard that a top loader may be more reliable in the long run and it certainly makes sense to me.  It’s interesting that you mention the stabilization and weight being instrumental in improving the sound as I have heard various Jays Audio owners make similar claims as well.  
 

Thank you for sharing your experiences with me!  I’d love to be able to have a home trial of both the CEC and the Jay’s but I’m not sure that is even an option?

Best wishes,

Don

@no_regrets 

The color difference is very subtle - essentially it is black. You have to see it in bright light to notice any difference in shade. I probably shouldn't have mentioned it but I did in case you are completely OCD about the color of your components. It's not something most people would notice.

Regarding sound differences, you should know that I'm one of those guys who can't hear any difference in interconnects. I'm sure that some people hear large differences between two CD transports but I'm not one of them. I've compared the two transports through the same DAC on multiple occasions and if there is a difference it's not significant to me.

As I mentioned earlier, I have put together my endgame digital rig and there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to buy the CD3 instead of the CD2. I wanted to be comfortable that I had bought the best sanely priced transport I could find. If I had bought the CD2 I didn't want to always wonder if I would have been happier with the CD3. I have over 4000 CDs and I'm committed to the format.  I'm pretty sure it's the last transport I will ever buy (along with the 701T). The Jay's is so nicely made and works so smoothly that it's a pleasure to use. That's a very important factor to me.

Good question regarding the LTA DAC. It's a NOS Ladder DAC which does not use a filter so I would think that oversampling wouldn't make any difference. If you decide to get the CD3 it will be interesting to try it to see if oversampling makes any sonic difference.

@no_regrets I myself have had my own thoughts on the addition of the expensive device used as the Clock.

Where I settled was that there are always going to be add on devices that will be very beneficial, and keeping an eye out for discussions being had that cover such devices that can be acquired for much more reasonable monies will hopefully prove good for the VFM factor.

I am at present picking up on the DIY element of tweaking devices outside of a Warranty Period.

The PS Audio Perfect Wave used with my Bespoke Built Valve DAC, has changed my thoughts about a Digital Source being used forever. I see the Clock side as a investigation worth investigating and maybe could get access to a loaner model at some time.

I know and know of individuals who are modding Mutech MC 3 Models, whose reports are claiming a lot has been achieved on betterment.

A Proprietor of a HiFi Dealership who I do not know, has compared modded Mutech MC 3's to very very expensive Digital Source devices and is certain the Mutech MC 3 modded, is a great VFM venture, and should not be overlooked.

I thoroughly encourage the use of the owned CDT's but as always in Audio Equipment Ownership, the 'What If Moment of Thought' very close to surfacing. There is no harm in learning cost effective ways to further investigate options on sound being produced.