Jay’s Audio CD Transport

@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.  

Hi Don. We didn't try the master CLK with the CDT2 but I assume it might have some slight benefit from it. The CDT3 has about the best CLK already, assume that is why no gain from the master CLK.

In my system I generally use a Gaia DDC, which also sounds very good and has very good CLKs. Usually I feed USB into it from streaming and take I2S out of it. When I play the CDT3 I sometimes run AES into the Gaia and keep the I2S out connection to my DAC.. We can also run the I2S straight from the CDT3 to the DAC. Both ways are great sounding.

And @Jackd, that is exactly right re: the CDT2 vs the CDT3 and was my experience as well. At the end of the day the CDT2 is a great sounding CDT that most everyone would love. Basically it beats most everything except the CDT3. For those who want the absolute best sounding, the CDT3 is the one.

Re: upsampling, it might be a benefit in a system with an NOS DAC. But we generally don't want to double upsample in a system.

TK