Are Transports Obsolete?

It surprises me in this day and age that transports continue to be developed, and presumably sold. I know this has at least been in part to the physical media aspects of spinning one's CD library. Also, Transports, particularly of the cost no object variety, can be more 'sexy' than servers.

We 'know' that server technology has, for all intents and purposes, eclipsed transports in the last few years, but the best of the best transports continue to garner enthusiasm if not raves from some reviewers that I really respect.

Are there any out there that, having bought a server, have recently been drawn back or towards the world of transports?
What is your server and why and what transports have you or are you reconsidering?

 

What are you using as a streamer?

Jriver. Occasionally, Roon.

 

Probably for some people, but for me it is strictly handling, not owning. Handling takes time, we know where the media is stored and when we got it, we browse efficiently among music we love, not meaningless suggestions of the streamer engine. I can visually sweep a full shelve in a few seconds, going through the equivalent tablet pages is not attractive for me.

Clearly everyone has their preference. For me I have racks of CDs that I haven't looked at since I ripped them to my NAS. For me it is much easier finding music via my Android Tablet. The great thing is everyone can find what works best for them and enjoy it.

 

The great thing is everyone can find wha
works best for them and enjoy it.

That sums it up nicely.

(I myself am a physical-CD guy.)

 

The only time I touch a CD now is to rip it. I'm not a streamer in the traditional sense (I leave that for my vehicles). However, my music cd's reside on a 20TB server. In jriver - I load everything into memory ... no glitches, no problems, no getting up either. Yes, I can listen to an entire CD (and I often do). I have noise isolation on my USB outs and my PCI-E bus, the system is totally watercooled (PC and the Server as well), and I have a Gustard x16 dac connected to the PC. I haven't looked back since I discovered Jriver back in '09.

 

In response to the overall thread original post and not any specific people who have replied.

Transports and CD/SACD players are no more obsolete or outdated than turntables (and they are definitely not as we all know.

Grand pronouncements like "We 'know' that server technology has, for all intents and purposes, eclipsed transports in the last few years"
are quite simply bollocks. There are great transports, great servers, great streamers, great turntables; they all serve a purpose and cater
to an active, buying percentage of the audiophile population. There are cases where servers and streamers have undershot, those where
they equal and those where they eclipse other forms of playback. One can find it all out there.

It amazes me that people thought that when new forms of musical storage and playback hit the market that somehow everyone with 100s,
1000s, 10,000 and more of a given media type were just going to abandon their investment and jump into the next great unknown and stop
looking for great turntables, RTRs, transports, etc...

Such threads are often started by dealers who represent the opposite camp as is the case here, or sycophants of the next new thing,....
you'll note that committed turnable, disc and tape lovers never start such posts.

 

The only time I touch a CD now is to rip it. I'm not a streamer in the traditional sense (I leave that for my vehicles). However, my music cd's reside on a 20TB server. In jriver - I load everything into memory ... no glitches, no problems, no getting up either. Yes, I can listen to an entire CD (and I often do). I have noise isolation on my USB outs and my PCI-E bus, the system is totally watercooled (PC and the Server as well), and I have a Gustard x16 dac connected to the PC. I haven't looked back since I discovered Jriver back in '09.

Only play physical media - discs and vinyl, and have never owned a separate DAC and transport. Very happy with my tube sacd player and turntable, and have no interest in streaming.

 

It amazes me that people thought that when new forms of musical storage and playback hit the market that somehow everyone with 100s,
1000s, 10,000 and more of a given media type were just going to abandon their investment and jump into the next great unknown and stop
looking for great turntables, RTRs, transports, etc...

Such threads are often started by dealers who represent the opposite camp as is the case here, or sycophants of the next new thing,....
you'll note that committed turnable, disc and tape lovers never start such posts.

The problem is - those with huge collections of LPs, CDs and tapes are very much in the minority compared to those without, and the younger gen who (mostly) could care less about media, everything is streamed.

 

The problem is - those with huge collections of LPs, CDs and tapes are very much in the minority compared to those without, and the younger gen who (mostly) could care less about media, everything is streamed.

That may be the reality but why is it a problem?

 

No desire to add more complexity or stream at a high level. I will likely have a disc player in some form for the long run.

 

Transports and CD/SACD players are no more obsolete or outdated than turntables (and they are definitely not as we all know.
.

Agree with you 100%!

At this moment I am eagerly waiting for Audionote UK to launch their new cd transport mechanism.




Belt-drive, a lot of panzerholz-like material and with a big/powerful motor.
It will likely break the ground in cd transports.
Peter said that it's a benchmark invention/product but I guess the price may be a benchmark too.

 

While I enjoy streaming from our Aurender N30SA, I still enjoy playing CDs and SACDs as well. We just received our EMM SACD Transport. It’s the best Transport we‘ve ever owned.

Streaming is now the in-thing, but it will continue? No streaming service is presently making a profit. If a monopoly like Amazon finally wins the streaming battle what will prices continue to do? With little to no competition will the quality of the streams still be the very best? What happens to the artists who make so very little in streaming …

I enjoy owning my own media. I have CDs that are decades old that still play like a dream. I rip and play them on the N30SA as well. I own plenty of records as well. I continue to add to both collections. While I continue to listen to Qobuz at times, it’s not really needed.

 

The problem is - those with huge collections of LPs, CDs and tapes are very much in the minority compared to those without, and the younger gen who (mostly) could care less about media, everything is streamed.

Ditto on the question as to why that is a problem(?) ! I also think that people's collections of music may be underestimated in the way the actual number of records are constantly underestimated or at least not mentioned often by those who would push for a new way of doing things.

I am not going to give up path in the hobby I've chosen just because of a bunch of millennials or others who cannot appreciate that choice and the sonic benefits thereof, anymore than a diehard Vinyl lover is going to give up their turntable and how they've chosen to enjoy music throughout their entire life. I know that was not the main point; I do however think there are manufacturers for transports and players who get this as well, and have chosen to ignore the noise and stick to what they believe has a place in the market, just like all those who seek to build better turntables, carts, arms, photo preamps and that whole ecosystem.

 

Do Peter & his son Daniel of Audionote UK have a problem of too many LP?



No of course!
It's a treasure cave!

 

Do Peter & his son Daniel of Audionote UK have a problem of too many LP?

View attachment 88334

No of course!
It's a treasure cave!

You can never own too much media.

 

Belt-drive, a lot of panzerholz-like material and with a big/powerful motor.
It will likely break the ground in cd transports.
Peter said that it's a benchmark invention/product but I guess the price may be a benchmark too.

The jokes just write themselves.

Currently CD thickness and rotation speed are winning out inside my head.

 

While I enjoy streaming from our Aurender N30SA, I still enjoy playing CDs and SACDs as well. We just received our EMM SACD Transport. It’s the best Transport we‘ve ever owned.

Streaming is now the in-thing, but it will continue? No streaming service is presently making a profit. If a monopoly like Amazon finally wins the streaming battle what will prices continue to do? With little to no competition will the quality of the streams still be the very best? What happens to the artists who make so very little in streaming …

I enjoy owning my own media. I have CDs that are decades old that still play like a dream. I rip and play them on the N30SA as well. I own plenty of records as well. I continue to add to both collections. While I continue to listen to Qobuz at times, it’s not really needed.

View attachment 88331 View attachment 88333

Audire,....great post!

Not only do most if not all music services have trouble making money, they also pay the artists pennies (literally) and often fractions thereof.

 

In response to the overall thread original post and not any specific people who have replied.

Transports and CD/SACD players are no more obsolete or outdated than turntables (and they are definitely not as we all know.

Grand pronouncements like "We 'know' that server technology has, for all intents and purposes, eclipsed transports in the last few years"
are quite simply bollocks. There are great transports, great servers, great streamers, great turntables; they all serve a purpose and cater
to an active, buying percentage of the audiophile population. There are cases where servers and streamers have undershot, those where
they equal and those where they eclipse other forms of playback. One can find it all out there.

It amazes me that people thought that when new forms of musical storage and playback hit the market that somehow everyone with 100s,
1000s, 10,000 and more of a given media type were just going to abandon their investment and jump into the next great unknown and stop
looking for great turntables, RTRs, transports, etc...

Such threads are often started by dealers who represent the opposite camp as is the case here, or sycophants of the next new thing,....
you'll note that committed turnable, disc and tape lovers never start such posts.

ok; i own 3-4k CD's, 1k+ SACD's, 11k-12k Lps, 300+ tapes. OTOH i have around 16tb of files too. at this point i don't own a high quality disc spinner. i do have an Oppo but don't have it plugged into the system.

i suspect that the Wadax Ref Server with files has now supplanted any disc spinners at this point when combined with the Wadax Ref dac and the Akasa optical interface. that is Wadax's feedback, and they have an outstanding transport themselves including their own proprietary interface for their spinner. with these files, we are talking good quality (not tip top with the best pressings) vinyl level performance. and i know what that is. i can tell you i have some dxd files that are silly amazing. rebook files are quite stunning.

Wadax is now working on a Ref Transport that might jump ahead again. but at the moment.......

transports are not obsolete. but it's a clear question whether they are as good as the best server. but to reach that file/streaming performance level is silly expensive.

 

If it's a clear question at all Mike, the answer is, just like everything else in this hobby....

"It depends..."

on what components you are comparing, what they can do and the system and ecosystem built/cabled, etc... around them.

 

Agree with you 100%!

At this moment I am eagerly waiting for Audionote UK to launch their new cd transport mechanism.

View attachment 88329
View attachment 88330

Belt-drive, a lot of panzerholz-like material and with a big/powerful motor.
It will likely break the ground in cd transports.
Peter said that it's a benchmark invention/product but I guess the price may be a benchmark too.

That looks really interesting!

Any idea what the damage will be?

 

Do Peter & his son Daniel of Audionote UK have a problem of too many LP?

View attachment 88334

No of course!
It's a treasure cave!

I love this room with the wall to wall LP's. (trying to ignore the carpet and asymmetry of the components ). But looks like a music room!