CD transport recommendations


Old system:
All CDs ripped lossless using dbPowerAmp, and played back using M1Clic streamed from dedicated hard drive. No CD player or other transport.

New System:
Replacing the M1Clic with the Moon 380D w/ balanced and Mind options.

I am thinking I want to add a CD transport to be able to play the occasional CD disc. What transport should I consider to do the 380D justice?

This is a dedicated 2-ch system with Moon preamp, amp. Frey interconnects. Focal 1008 Electra speakers. Shunyata power cords & Hydra alpha. REL 528.
fje00
The reason is because properly done computer based audio/transport is more 3D sounding. Every CD player or dac/transport I have owned sounds flat in comparison. The other big area of improvement is less, far less digiital noise. You don't even know its there until it is gone.These are the two big improvements found with properly executed computer based transports. Like turntables however everything matters and to achieve this sound one must read up and be educated.

The improvement was obvious and immediate to me based on my history with traditional digital. I was not a believer in computer based audio and held out mostly out of fear and ignorance to be honest. Well, I decided to stretch myself and the sound on the other sides indeed better, Yes, it takes work and effort and knowledge.

Those who have truly broke through universally experience what I have stated above. It will only continue to get better and better so go,ahead and start learning. A,aging sound and just as amazing convenience.

Transport and CD players still sound wonderful and I love them. I am just saying it as it is.

FYI, yes I have owned or listened to all of the top, most respected players like the top of line Ayre, Cary 306, $8,000 Esoteric, highly modified Sony SACD player etc.....had belt drive transports with very good dacs. Yes, they all sounded wonderful, but they take a back seat to computer based audio done right. I liked the Marantz SA7 and my TRL modified Sony the most for the analog type sound, but not as good as computer audio.

Steve of Empirical Audio can tell you the technical reasons and has done so numerous times in threads here on Agon. Read his stuff and learn. Great stuff and he has put in the hours to become an expert.
Sorry for the typos. Well, I have not tried all top CD players etc....but many top rated ones:-)

Have fun learning and do read Steve's stuff from Empirical Audio.
For the money, you can't beat the PSAudio PerfectWave transport, IMHO. I've seen them used for as little as $1300. I've owned CEC and Meitner transports and auditioned Esoteric and Consonance transports and the PWT beat them all.

Its jitter and noise measurements are vanishingly low and I've not had a single issue with mine in three years. Both the CEC and Meitner transports developed either belt or lazer problems. The PWT is musical, affordable and reliable. You may find a cheaper transport, but you'll have to spend a great deal more money to best the PWT.
I've got an EAD T1000 (Pioneer stable platter) and have always loved it. It plays every redbook cd I can put in it. ST optical out and coax digital out. I recently put it away since getting a squeezebox touch so...It's for sale. 8/10 shape and remote. Had a parasound top load transport for awhile and loved it as well but it was finiky about certain burned disc's. Not the EAD. Let me know if anyone is interested in buying or trading.
Grannyring,

Thanks. I don't know if I agree or disagree with you yet, but at least your giving us some good, usable info to go on. Also, the list of actual CD player models you use for comparison, I think, is very helpful. Thanks again.