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?

 

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Why do you say the bass quality is spiced jitter signature? What does natural high quality sound has to do with a lot of jitter? I tried several clocks with their respective DACs and other devices like the Genesis lens and every case I found the sound less natural and more mechanical. Same with 110ohm EBS/EBU XLR, 75ohm coax bnc and various glass connectors from Goldmnund, Altis and others in the end lowly SPDIF sounded most natural to me. Might be taste but I always prefer SE to balanced in my systems.

david

Every digital source system has a jitter signature created by its oscillator and noise coming from all parts of the system - power supply, servos, motors, etc. Once you introduce an external clock you are perhaps improving specifications, but surely killing the original sound signature of the transport. In the high-end we pay for those special signatures - they are the small difference that makes it sound "natural" and less "electronic" and mechanical, as we often say.

Although in general in WBF people refer positively to effects of external clocks, not everyone agrees - some claim that they makes a more detailed, less natural sound. The DCS Vivaldi clock has a setting that adds ditter to the clock - on voices I prefer this mode.

 

Every digital source system has a jitter signature created by its oscillator and noise coming from all parts of the system - power supply, servos, motors, etc. Once you introduce an external clock you are perhaps improving specifications, but surely killing the original sound signature of the transport. In the high-end we pay for those special signatures - they are the small difference that makes it sound "natural" and less "electronic" and mechanical, as we often say.

Although in general in WBF people refer positively to effects of external clocks, not everyone agrees - some claim that they makes a more detailed, less natural sound. The DCS Vivaldi clock has a setting that adds ditter to the clock - on voices I prefer this mode.

Genesis Digital Lens had that ability too. I went back and forth a while with that fake air you & @Empirical Audio mentioned. This was all part of the learning process. After last few threads I went to my storage unit yesterday to see what I still have, from the looks of things solid state DACs won the battle, at least based on what I own. The only tube based system that really did it for me was the Zanden as a set. Individually neither the transport nor the DAC was anything to get excited about.

david

 

The DCS Vivaldi clock has a setting that adds ditter to the clock - on voices I prefer this mode.

I suppose you mean either "jitter" or "dither"?

 

I suppose you mean either "jitter" or "dither"?

Sorry dither - it was a typo, not a genetic mix!

 

Sorry dither - it was a typo, not a genetic mix!

Thanks, yes, adding dither makes perfect sense.

 

Just got a Yggdrasil 2 dac in this week and started experimenting with my drives. The stock Oppo is clearly the loser, the Primare 204 with its Phillips pro drive is the most analog sounding (like the Forsell) but is not as detailed as the JVC pro mechanisms. The Krell KPS 25sc uses the same JVC mechanisms as my JVC Victor but sounds significantly different, maybe the K2 processing is carried out trough the digital output in the Victor ? The Krell clearly has the most balanced detailed sound with amazing bass definition and extension. Both Victor and Krell where on their own dedicated Ps Audio regenerators , Victor is 100V. In the Krell i actually removed the dac, analog input and output cards, these run class A and very hot. Yes there are big differences in drives, and they are not obsolete, even the older ones

 

Just got a Yggdrasil 2 dac in this week and started experimenting with my drives. The stock Oppo is clearly the loser, the Primare 204 with its Phillips pro drive is the most analog sounding (like the Forsell) but is not as detailed as the JVC pro mechanisms. The Krell KPS 25sc uses the same JVC mechanisms as my JVC Victor but sounds significantly different, maybe the K2 processing is carried out trough the digital output in the Victor ? The Krell clearly has the most balanced detailed sound with amazing bass definition and extension. Both Victor and Krell where on their own dedicated Ps Audio regenerators , Victor is 100V. In the Krell i actually removed the dac, analog input and output cards, these run class A and very hot. Yes there are big differences in drives, and they are not obsolete, even the older ones

I think as far as transports go, the older the better. try and get your hands on an old swing arm transport such as a Meridian 200.

 

I think as far as transports go, the older the better. try and get your hands on an old swing arm transport such as a Meridian 200.

That is what is in my Primare 204, and the Forsell.

 

Sometimes I still miss sparkle and air out of CEC TL0x.

But after keep failing to read some CDs, I had to sell it 13 years ago.

Now I have modest Jays audio CD transport.

I had done comparison of sound between Jay's and ripped CD stored in SSD of Cocktail Audio X30.

Although Jay's give slightly clear details than ripped CD, I found it much convenient to look for my libraries of 2000 CDs stored in SSD.

Thus I had not used Jay's for almost a year.

With only wireless internet, I do not use wireless music like roon.

 

That is what is in my Primare 204, and the Forsell.

I thought you said they are pro mechs. Are they CDM4s?

 

I thought you said they are pro mechs. Are they CDM4s?

 

Built up on a stabilizing copper plate.with a heavy centerpuck.The JVC pro drive uses the same type of copper plate and a heavy center puck.

 

View attachment 66205 View attachment 66205

Thanks!

 

The CDM9 pro was the last of the one laser swingarm mechanisms, after that Phillips went to a 3 laser straight mechanisms.

 

Just got a Yggdrasil 2 dac in this week and started experimenting with my drives. The stock Oppo is clearly the loser, the Primare 204 with its Phillips pro drive is the most analog sounding (like the Forsell) but is not as detailed as the JVC pro mechanisms.

If the Yggdrasil DAC has this re-clocking inside, why do different transports impart a different sound quality?

I'll tell you why. The DAC is not immune to jitter. Jitter is the only difference you are hearing.

 

If the Yggdrasil DAC has this re-clocking inside, why do different transports impart a different sound quality?

I'll tell you why. The DAC is not immune to jitter. Jitter is the only difference you are hearing.

I have never heard a dac that does not show differences in transport quality, jitter or just plain better reading. Yes i know it’s all the same digital information and it is all perfect And to my ears computers are bad for music, sorry !

 

I have never heard a dac that does not show differences in transport quality, jitter or just plain better reading. Yes i know it’s all the same digital information and it is all perfect And to my ears computers are bad for music, sorry !

I totally agree!

I have a CDM4 based cd player with internal tda1541a DAC, and there are huge differences in sound based on the puck used on the discs.

 

The Eera cdp I use is a mere 7kg. But it's transport mechanism uses some secret sauce called Gyropoint, and by golly does it deliver the goods. I have some of the worst recorded genre material on cd, and somehow this cdp extracts all the good juice leaving the chaff behind. I'm an analog man first and foremost, but the Eera totally captivates me. That transport is doing an awful lot right.

 

The Eera cdp I use is a mere 7kg. But it's transport mechanism uses some secret sauce called Gyropoint, and by golly does it deliver the goods. I have some of the worst recorded genre material on cd, and somehow this cdp extracts all the good juice leaving the chaff behind. I'm an analog man first and foremost, but the Eera totally captivates me. That transport is doing an awful lot right.

And maybe they have a little processing involved that caters to analog lovers like you, like JVC did. with their K2 processing.

 

The Eera cdp I use is a mere 7kg. But it's transport mechanism uses some secret sauce called Gyropoint, and by golly does it deliver the goods. I have some of the worst recorded genre material on cd, and somehow this cdp extracts all the good juice leaving the chaff behind. I'm an analog man first and foremost, but the Eera totally captivates me. That transport is doing an awful lot right.

Interesting, do you have any info on the transport mech. I googled it and the images look a lot like a Philips linear tracking 3 beam laser mech such as the 12 pro.