Transports and Technology

Wheeler:
In my experience, I have to agree with the above comments from Marakanetz and Phild. I think that Marakanetz's example of a cartridge or cartidge AND table is spot on. IME, no matter how good the component may be, the DOWNSTREAM component can do nothing to improve what it is being fed; it can only process it transparently.
As I stated in one of your previous threads, when I purchased my CEC TL2, a quality but affordable transport, it was the first time that I had the opportunity to experience what a good transport can accomplish for the quality of the production. The only other transport on my short list was the Muse 8. I find Jafox's comments most interesting. I am sure it would be a pleasant dialog to compare notes.
I have gone thru the same search as yourself. I would gladly share with you what I saw and learned. If you are interested, email me offline.

A couple of thoughts. One is that Redbook DAC volatility has subsided considerably from the hectic rate of change of the nineties. The area where digital is likely to undergo the most turmoil in the next few years is high rez. And for high rez, the transport will be involved as well as the DAC.

With my limited transport experience I can nevertheless confirm that transports have made an important difference at each case in my audio career, even comparable to DACs. The only pure transport I own(ed) is the Audiolab 8000CDM; it is now clearly bettered by a Philips DVD 963 SA - as a transport -, feeding the Bel Canto DAC2. It offers much more detail and a more colorful sound, whereas the Audiolab sounds downright dark in comparison. I guess the Philips has a very good transport section.

Martian_23