Three transport choices, which one?

Tony:
I cannot give you a lot of details, as I listened to the T-7000 just briefly. I was using it with an Audio Logic M34DSB DAC, a four-tube DAC. I had sold the T-7000 and was simply testing the CD output as requested. I doubt that I listened for more than 15 minutes...just long enough to be sure of operation. As stated, I normally use a CEC TL2, a very good quality transport, that has very good synergy with the AL DAC. If interested, you can find several threads on this subject. In my testing I was using the ST-Optical connection which I have found to work very well on the AL. While I did not listen seriously, my response was very quick and very certain: "Hey, this is good!"

Mejames, okay, you've had quite a bit of experience then with this combination. What were the downsides? That is, in what areas of reproduction did it not do so well?

I see you moved to a Wadia. My friend has the same unit, but unmodified, so I've heard the stock 861. How does the stock unit compare to the EAD combo?

Good choices and hard decisions!!! I have had a DSP 7000 with a T1000 and the Theta. The Theta beat it hands down, better bass (apparantly the Theta trademark) and depth. The T1000 was good and imagining was very good, for what I had as a system, at the time. I had sold my Theta to try the T1000 and HAD to go back, and upgraded to a DSP 7000 mk3.

I know you are looking at the T7000, which may be something different altogether. The Theta is very good. I am unfamiliar with the Proceed. YMMV. Good luck and have fun deciding!

Matt

Thanks Matt. I've run across a number of pieces of info suggesting the T-7000 mates with the DSP better than the Proceed transport. So that (for the moment) leaves the Theta. Now I thought the Theta Data Universal and the EAD T-7000 were based on the same Pioneer LD/CD transport. The kicker might be the fact that the T-7000 comes with a glass output. I have an old review from TAS regarding the DSP/T combo, and the feeling there seemed to be that the glass connection was decidedly better. In fact, one of the things they remarked on was the excellent bass retrieval and presentation. I actually tried a T-1000 about 5 years ago. It was good, but not good enough for me to pay for it. I felt the same as you, had kind of a lightweight quality to it.

I just recently bought a Museatex CDD blind. I'm having John Wright mod the back to fit an IEC power cable. It's an older design but I was so happy with the Museatex Bitstream DAC when I auditioned it, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I went after the dedicated Transport or a Theta Basic II. I haven't had a chance to listen to either the Theta or Museatex to be honest, but everybody I've talked to have praised the Museatex as being ultra musical, coupled with the right cable (Moray James recommened) its suppose to be a nice combo.