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USB DAC with conventional transport ???

Does anyone make a conventional CD transport that outputs an asynchronous digital signal via USB? Wouldn't it be nice to be able to use one of these excellent (and relatively inexpensive) USB DACs without a computer as the transport? If nobody makes such a CD transport, is there any reason that one could not be made if someone wanted to do so?
poetcatullus
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
Thanks, Al...guess you can tell i am only a redbook cd guy with a transport! ;) Only fleeting interest in servers for now. will make sure to post here before i ever do investigate servers properly!
poetcatullus OP
53 posts
 
Thank you, Al; for that excellent description!

I doubt that anyone currently makes a conventional CD transport that emulates the USB port of a computer - and "emulates" is the key word here. But one would think that such a transport is theoretically possible and could be relatively inexpensive. The CD drive would have to be smooth and quiet, unlike many found in computers. I have heard tell that Sanyo makes such an OEM CD drive (for conventional players) and I imagine that Matsushita/Panasonic does also and perhaps Sony.

This could result in a $1000 CD player that sounds like a $30,000 CD player.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
This is round-about way to get the signal reclocked. Its not available as far as I know.

There are two better and cheaper scenerios:

1) use the clock in the transport and transmit I2S to the DAC. You can do this for instance with PWT to W4S DAC2.

2) add a reclocker to the transport by inserting in-line. Then you are using a good clock, maybe better than the transport. Still S/PDIF coax or Toslink output to the DAC.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
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