CD Transport Recommendations

[MoonDrifter]

Im looking to upgrade my Roksan Caspian M2 CD player for a dedicated CD transport to fed the DAC's in my Lumin P1 streamer to get the best sound quality out of my CD collection.

I don't need SACD and am not interested in ripping my large collection of CD's, just wanting a very good CD transport.

I have a budget of about $5000.

Would appreciate any recommendations to research online and then form a shortlist for shop demo's.

Many thanks in advance for any help.

 

 

[muon*]

Maybe a Jay's CDT2 Mk3 with Headquaters Audio CD Puck and Suspension upgrades.

 

Pity the Lumin P1 doesn't have an i2s input.

Edited August 26 by muon*

[ENIGMA]

I second the Jay's CDT2 Mk3 too.

 

And as an alternative, the Pro-Ject CD box RS2,

[Mendes]

35 minutes ago, ENIGMA said:

I second the Jay's CDT2 Mk3 too.

I third the Jay's CDT2 Mk3 

[John0001]

Audiolab 9000CDT and Schiit URD are two cheaper options that might fit the bill. Both are around $2000.

[georgehifi]

17 hours ago, MoonDrifter said:

I have a budget of about $5000.

Would appreciate any recommendations to research online and then form a shortlist for shop demo's.

Many thanks in advance for any help.

 

I would go for the Schiit URD around $2000aud landed mainland Au, has  TCXO clock (temp controlled) and it has aes/ebu and best it has USB-C inputs!! and output! which they say is even better than aes/ebu.

https://www.schiit.com/products/urd

Here is the thread I started on them https://www.stereonet.com/forums/topic/586870-schiit-urd-cd-transport-finally-appears/#comment-6240948

And it uses a tray loader not a slot, 2 x C-core transformers and seems to be quite a few individual regulated supply rails, no radiated noise from smps rubbish with this, very important to have the lowest noise power supply in source gear I believe.

 

Cheers George

 

Edited August 27 by georgehifi

[MoonDrifter]

Thanks to everybody for their recommendations.

After doing online reviewing over the last three days and talking to dealers today, I have shortlisted the following for demo's: Jays Audio CDT2 Mk3, Cyrus CDT-XR and Moon CDT260D the Project RS2 nearly made it but the top loader mechanism wont fit in the 200mm height I have in my AV Rack.

The Moon I can demo in Perth but the Cyrus and Jays Audio will have to wait till my next trip to Melbourne in a couple of months time before I can demo them and then decide which one to buy.

Did not feel comfortable with the Schiit with no dealer support in Australia.

[Mendes]

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Edited August 29 by Mendes
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[POV]

46 minutes ago, MoonDrifter said:

 

Did not feel comfortable with the Schiit with no dealer support in Australia.

 

Addicted to Audio carry Schiit.

[POV]

On 27/08/2023 at 7:10 AM, georgehifi said:

C-core transformers and seems to be quite a few individual regulated supply rails, no radiated noise from smps rubbish with this, very important to have the lowest noise power supply in source gear I believe.

 

SMPS don't radiate noise.  

[muon*]

The Jays CDT2 has lots of regulated supplies.

 

Also has what is regarded as the most reliable Philips swing arm mechanism and also an OCXO (oven controlled crystal oscillator).

 

Sturdy chassis with thick aluminium panels, no flimsy chassis here.

 

 

Edited August 28 by muon*

[georgehifi]

11 hours ago, MoonDrifter said:

Did not feel comfortable with the Schiit with no dealer support in Australia.

 

Addicted to Audio in Sydney brings in and services Schiit,

And how's this for reco, designer Mike Moffat of the Shiit URD was "Theta Digital" main design technician back when Theta was in it's heyday, then he left and started Schiit with Jason Stoddard.  

Comes down to which country your future backup/servicing needs you'd feel more comfortable with.

 

Cheers George 

Edited August 28 by georgehifi

[John0001]

Yes its technically true that ATA bring in "some" Schiit products but as they explain, it's only what they get sent, which appears to be not even 1/4 of what Schiit offer. ATA have no stock of URD and I'd imagine there's very little chance they ever will.

 

The only real way to get hold of "most" Schiit products is to order online from US, which is a pity IMO.

[georgehifi]

24 minutes ago, John0001 said:

The only real way to get hold of "most" Schiit products is to order online from US, which is a pity IMO.

 

Even if ATA were like that they would still be "service agents", also if they hypothetically weren't, I'd trust the USA than Asia for product backup.

 

Cheers George  

Edited August 28 by georgehifi

[georgehifi]

@MoonDrifter

The OP should seriously look at this, "said by owners" to be the "tube sound" of CD Transports.

 

https://www.stereonet.com/forums/topic/591143-cec-tl5-cd-transport-2023/#comment-6243634

 

Cheers George

Edited August 29 by georgehifi

[SonicArt]

2 hours ago, georgehifi said:

 

Even if ATA were like that they would still be "service agents", also if they hypothetically weren't, I'd trust the USA than Asia for product backup.

Cheers George  

From my experience with schiit, you are on your own if you purchase anything pre-owned here, no transfer of warranty or honoring of warranty, not even if its 1 month old.  The original small range of products was quite good, the first Freya+ was reliable, the second version had a lot more issues and I have first hand experience with 2 of them and dealing with schiit (actually not dealing, asking for help and some basic tech advice on behalf of a customer in order to save him having to send a 3mnth old unit back to the US 100% out of his own pocket...and getting nowhere). This also calls into question the reason why the gear comes up for sale when its quite new, could be issues arise? and the owner is not keen on sending it back to the US, so offloads it.

 

As for local sales, afaik no schiit gear is rcm complied, this 'may' have changed recently but unlikely. For low voltage gear its quite common I know, and not a 'huge' concern, but the tube gear is a different scenario.

 

@John0001 Schiit is set up for direct sales only, no actual margins, so ATA was taking on a product they had little to make from, the first Freya+ was around $1200-1300 here and about the same to order from the US. Later the prices jumped a lot, my guess you cant make nothing on a product line forever. I know schiit's process for ordering is quite smooth, and shipping was pretty reasonable before covid, not having looked at any of their stuff since 2020 I dont know what the shipping is like now.

 

My choice would be Jays over schiit, and the RST2 is high on the list having had feedback from a couple of owners now who have had a lot of hi-end transports and reckon its an amazingly good sounding unit. Unfortunately being a lift up lid as OP says is not convenient if you dont have a top shelf waiting for it..

Edited August 28 by SonicArt

[John0001]

Broadly agree with the above comments. If I had the ca$h I'd go Jays, then for half the price the URD if you can deal with the importing/service/ stuff. The Audiolab 9000CDT would be a good cheaper option ($1700) if you want to buy local. YMMV, IMHO and all that stuff.
 

[SonicArt]

Yes the 9000 seems to be getting very good feedback, and its reasonable price should see a lot more owning one here.

[georgehifi]

1 hour ago, John0001 said:

The Audiolab 9000CDT would be a good cheaper option ($1700) if you want to buy local.

 

Back a way I had the Cambridge CXC and compared it to the Audiolab, the Cambridge was the better of the two.

Then along came a CEC TL2X MkII and that was better again. Then a Rotel RRD-980 good also, till Merdian 500 MkIII now has pride of place, I think more so because it had AES/EBU output over the Rotel, and the Schiit goes that and one further, with USB-C inputs and outputs.

I also look at the digital output patterns on my scope of all digital outputs as Lampizator does, and the best so far is the Merdian.

 

Merdian 500 MkIII digital output

 

One day I'll get to look at the Schiit URD.

 

Cheers George   

Edited August 29 by georgehifi

[John0001]

6 minutes ago, georgehifi said:

Back a way I had the Cambridge CXC and compared it to the Audiolab

Which Audiolab? I assume the 6000CDT?

[georgehifi]

Yep that's what is was, the Cambridge CXC for around the same money was better than the 6000, and their scoped outputs weren't that nice to look at. But I say this they are both good "budget" CD transports. 

The TL2X MkII, the Rotel RRD-980, and the Merdian were all better sounding, and looking at the output wave forms. 

 

Cheers George

Edited August 29 by georgehifi

[POV]

3 hours ago, SonicArt said:

My choice would be Jays over schiit, and the RST2 is high on the list having had feedback from a couple of owners now who have had a lot of hi-end transports and reckon its an amazingly good sounding unit. Unfortunately being a lift up lid as OP says is not convenient if you dont have a top shelf waiting for it..

In this specific case though, the URD and the CDT2 are not exactly comparable products.  The URD is principally designed around a USB architecture and is really intended to be run with USB outputs (and inputs if needed).

[SonicArt]

1 hour ago, POV said:

In this specific case though, the URD and the CDT2 are not exactly comparable products.  The URD is principally designed around a USB architecture and is really intended to be run with USB outputs (and inputs if needed).

Ok well so far the feedback I have read on the USB output of the URD is not conclusive, ie there are no claims of it being amazingly better than spdif, only different. Time will tell I guess as there cant be that many out there yet.

Another comment I read was comparing its spdif out to a Cambridge CXC and finding they both sounded the same.

OP has a Lumin with all the inputs, is the lumin USB input audibly better than its spdif input? These are the things that spring to mind, for me I dont stream and dont use dacs with usb inputs, (and also planning on a new transport in the near future) so the best CD playback through spdif is what I require personally, but maybe OP wants to use usb, maybe he wants to stick with spdif, maybe he can tell us more

 

[MoonDrifter]

Thanks for advising that ATA are Schiit dealers, my google search for an australian price for the Schiit transport gave no hits so assumed it was not available here, but did not check for other Schiit products.

I spoke to ATA today and they were not sure they were getting any CD transports from Schiit, they also advised that the Moon 260D would be a far superior transport sound quality wise based on the previous demo model they had. Unfortunately they do not have a 260D demo model now and none in stock to listen to either so no luck there.

The Lumin does have a few options for digital inputs, I have a Chord Epic Digital Coaxial Cable that I currently use so was just going to use that but if a different digital input will give significantly better sound quality then I could easily buy a different cable but there seems to be very mixed opinions on one being better than another so have an open mind on it really.

I will stick with my original three shortlisted transports for now, but thanks for further advice on other options, it's good to see whats available.

Just to clarify, I'm looking for a transport that is "significantly" better than the Roksan Caspian M2 CD Player I currently use in coaxial digital output mode into the Lumin P1.

Edited August 29 by MoonDrifter
Additional text

[MattyW]

The Jays Audio CDT2-Mk3 is the best I’ve run. I’ve the QStab pick and will install the QSuspension upgrade once I’ve a chance. Highly recommended.

 

I had a char to another member recently says the CDT3 is even better so that will probably stay on my mind until I either upgrade or inflation puts it out of reach.