CD Transport vs Music Server

GSOphile

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Sep 3, 2017
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Unfortunately I don't think you can use it as a SACD transport with another DAC, at least not one I know of. There's no standardized scheme and it technically violates licensing agreements to pass it unencrypted over I2S (you are supposed to use HDMI protocol), so PS Audio is cheating a bit with their proprietary solution. That said, I don't think it's a huge loss. Weirdly, I found the PS Audio to be less compelling on SACD vs. CD feeding my DirectStream DAC. While CDs on the transport sounded consistently better than their rips played via Roon/Bridge, I wasn't so sure about SACDs. My DSD rips sounded just as good via Roon, and on some discs I actually found the transport to sound a bit thinner and less involving than the rip. This was with limited experimentation of HDMI cables though.
I too was under the same impression (that an SACD transport needed a DAC from same brand to meet SACD playback licensing requirements) until I read about the PST, where it appeared they had found a way around this. However, as noted, unless their SACD playback is compelling relative to CD, what's the point? In re-visiting their website, it appears they have tightened up their language a bit (and cut the price by 38% for an August promotion on this relatively new product).
 
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charles1dad

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@taww
“And yes, it does sound excellent - I preferred it by a small margin to the PS Audio, though it was subtle. Something about ProJect just let me have more of those "magical" experiences where the music just sounded more immediate and "right." Anyway, here's hoping the thing lasts! “

My listening experience with 10 months of blissful ownership. Excellent sound quality with the wall wart power supply. Yet further improvement with a good quality LPS (Assuming appropriate DC cable usage).

Downside is that some have recently reported nagging QC issues with certain RS2T units. Pro-Ject needs to address and correct. I’ve had no problems with mine with extended and heavy use.

I know of other owners who report zero problems with their respective units. Nonetheless, some others have reported problems and this can’t be ignored. One common point of agreement from many who’ve heard it, marvelous sound quality.

My summation, very high resolution combined with a superbly natural presentation. Music just flows via this transport in my audio system.

I don’t know of any audio component/product that pleases everyone. Based on my ownership experience, the RS2T is an exceptionally good sounding CD transport. Taww, I’m glad you gave it a listen and judged for yourself.
Charles
 
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Soundrulz

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Aug 28, 2022
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Hello Everyone,

I am in the process of upgrading my digital front end. I am trying to decide whether to invest my $'s in a nice CD transport (e.g Jay's Audio, CEC TL2N) or a music server

Hopefully this helps.
I have the following Bryston front end,
- BOT- 1, cd transport dedicated to my BDP-2
- BDA-3 DAC
- BDP-2 Digital player/streamer

So I have access to both playing CD’s and Tidal hi-res streaming. I spent a lot of time loading my favourite CD’s onto a local USB drive.
To be honest, I use Tidal 100% of the time. So much easier to access any music very quickly and not finding a CD I may want to play.
I found Tidal matched the CD audio or even surpassed CD’s, plus Tidal has newer remastered music.
Both the DAC and the BDP will into your budget . If you have a high quality CD player you can run thru the DAC.
All connected with Levinson (Madirgal) balanced cables.
 
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toetapaudio

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Feb 13, 2017
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Forest of Dean UK
Any updates and further thoughts/comparisons on the latest CD players like the Project RS2T ,Shanling ET3 or Jay’s Mk3’s? Are the Projects proving to be more reliable now? Anyone compared these modern transports to a Lampizatored vintage transport?
 

hongkongfoufou

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Mar 3, 2018
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Since I have Ansuz DTC Darkz foot (very olde, the first version I think), I must admit that my ML 360S sounds better than my vinyl....
 
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melomane99

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Aug 17, 2016
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I have just come to this thread most of the rhetoric will not be read by me - sorry. The point I bring is this. I have a Project CD RS2 T which I bought for the quality of the transport itself. I use a Lumin U2 Mini and a Holo Audio Spring 3 V2 DAC. The quality of sound via the Mini's USB out to the Spring's USB in is exceptionally good and easily beats the Project's CD transport connections via XLR or SPDIF. I believe it is the CD transport's lack of a USB output or 12S to the DAC that holds it back sound wise. I have not found an SPIF to USB converter. The only historic one now discontinued was the pro audio Mutec 1.2 which was a true bidirectional device allowing SPDIF and AES to USB. The Mutec MC-3+USB is one direction only and works with computers only as far as USB is concerned.
 

toetapaudio

Well-Known Member
Feb 13, 2017
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Forest of Dean UK
I have just come to this thread most of the rhetoric will not be read by me - sorry. The point I bring is this. I have a Project CD RS2 T which I bought for the quality of the transport itself. I use a Lumin U2 Mini and a Holo Audio Spring 3 V2 DAC. The quality of sound via the Mini's USB out to the Spring's USB in is exceptionally good and easily beats the Project's CD transport connections via XLR or SPDIF. I believe it is the CD transport's lack of a USB output or 12S to the DAC that holds it back sound wise. I have not found an SPIF to USB converter. The only historic one now discontinued was the pro audio Mutec 1.2 which was a true bidirectional device allowing SPDIF and AES to USB. The Mutec MC-3+USB is one direction only and works with computers only as far as USB is concerned.
Shanling ET3 has usb output
 

Rexp

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Aug 31, 2022
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This point may have been made, if you want the best master, you need CD's, SACD's, vinyl and streaming/downloads.
 

KrellFan1

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Mar 15, 2023
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I have just come to this thread most of the rhetoric will not be read by me - sorry. The point I bring is this. I have a Project CD RS2 T which I bought for the quality of the transport itself. I use a Lumin U2 Mini and a Holo Audio Spring 3 V2 DAC. The quality of sound via the Mini's USB out to the Spring's USB in is exceptionally good and easily beats the Project's CD transport connections via XLR or SPDIF. I believe it is the CD transport's lack of a USB output or 12S to the DAC that holds it back sound wise. I have not found an SPIF to USB converter. The only historic one now discontinued was the pro audio Mutec 1.2 which was a true bidirectional device allowing SPDIF and AES to USB. The Mutec MC-3+USB is one direction only and works with computers only as far as USB is concerned.
I for one can attest to how an I2S connection from a transport out to a DAC appears to be a game changer. I have a PS Audio DMP transport that sounded pretty good using an AES cable out to my Tambaqui DAC. A few weeks ago I decided to use the I2S out to my DAC and the improvement in SQ is significant - enough that I can state that I now prefer it to streaming from Roon, though nothing of course beats the convenience and experience of Roon, IMO.
 
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MichaelHiFi

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Jan 6, 2022
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I found the AES cable output of the RS2-T to be exceptional. It took a Waversa LAN filter, their top-of-the-line LAN EXT plus to conquer the sound quality of the transport and barely.

I still find it damning that the Project folks decided to use a proprietary I2S method of 'transport' to only their DAC. I would not have purchased this transport if I had carefully read that this was the case. Shame on me and shame on them.
 

gadawg58

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Apr 7, 2018
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I have an Esoteric P-02X transport and none of the music servers I've auditioned sound as good to me as the Esoteric transport does on redbook or standard DSD. That said I am going to audition the Aurender N30 before too long so maybe that will change things for me.

George
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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I have an Esoteric P-02X transport and none of the music servers I've auditioned sound as good to me as the Esoteric transport does on redbook or standard DSD. That said I am going to audition the Aurender N30 before too long so maybe that will change things for me.

George
Hi George,

Definitely very interested in hearing more about your thoughts there with the Aurender. I have the 4-box Zanden, and the Transport is particularly good and particularly integrated in the overall design by Zanden.

The oother ones I am intrigued by are the Innuos Statement and the Taiko Extreme...while I have heard the Taiko is 'the one', given that the Zanden DAC takes its clock from the transport, the Innuos reclocks before sending which the Taiko I am told would still require an additional external reclock for the Zanden.

Also, being a redbook person, the Innuous Statement is set up for that with its tray, burning, etc.

I have heard good things about Aurender. Look forward to hearing more.
 

KrellFan1

Active Member
Mar 15, 2023
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Phoenix, AZ
Hi George,

Definitely very interested in hearing more about your thoughts there with the Aurender. I have the 4-box Zanden, and the Transport is particularly good and particularly integrated in the overall design by Zanden.

The oother ones I am intrigued by are the Innuos Statement and the Taiko Extreme...while I have heard the Taiko is 'the one', given that the Zanden DAC takes its clock from the transport, the Innuos reclocks before sending which the Taiko I am told would still require an additional external reclock for the Zanden.

Also, being a redbook person, the Innuous Statement is set up for that with its tray, burning, etc.

I have heard good things about Aurender. Look forward to hearing more.
Seems to me the two top contender’s in the 20k arena are the Innuos Statement and Antipodes K50. Once you get into the 30k price point has to be Taiko Extreme and Antipodes Oladra.
 
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Birdwatcher

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May 29, 2018
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Hi Lloyd,
as you know, I have the Zanden, too.
But if I would compare a classic CD playback against a streamer, I would take a modern DAC. Of course it could be a R2R ladder DAC, maybe some tube DAC (Lampizaror maybe), but a solution with clocking and of course for high resolution, otherwise more than 50% of the streamed music is not playable.
This is my problem, too, a special DAC like the Zanden is just for 16/44.1 or 48, nothing else.

If clocking, I am a big fan of Mutec. MC3+ clock, maybe 2 or 3 of them cascaded, and the matching Mutec REF 10 10MHz Reference. It is a fantastic combination, that I have used with Innuos Zenith and Linn streamer In the past.
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Hi Lloyd,
as you know, I have the Zanden, too.
But if I would compare a classic CD playback against a streamer, I would take a modern DAC. Of course it could be a R2R ladder DAC, maybe some tube DAC (Lampizaror maybe), but a solution with clocking and of course for high resolution, otherwise more than 50% of the streamed music is not playable.
This is my problem, too, a special DAC like the Zanden is just for 16/44.1 or 48, nothing else.

If clocking, I am a big fan of Mutec. MC3+ clock, maybe 2 or 3 of them cascaded, and the matching Mutec REF 10 10MHz Reference. It is a fantastic combination, that I have used with Innuos Zenith and Linn streamer In the past.
All clear. I have to say...enjoying the music itself and the playback of it is a mutually and self-reinforcing experience. Zanden does that for me...and with literally thousands upon thousands of discs available (often at quite big discounts on Amazon), it serves us well.

BUT, your point is well taken, and someday, as part of server/DAC, we will start to explore all of those other digital files out there. More to come but perhaps not for a while.
 
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charles1dad

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@LL21
I’m sure that you aren’t alone with your perspective and sentiment. No doubt that people enjoy their high resolution digital files etc. Yet,, there is no question that well produced Redbook CD can sound extraordinary good with excellent quality CD transport and DAC. You can be quite happy with either route.Additionally they are not mutually exclusive.
Charles
 

Gjo

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2021
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Hi George,

Definitely very interested in hearing more about your thoughts there with the Aurender. I have the 4-box Zanden, and the Transport is particularly good and particularly integrated in the overall design by Zanden.

The oother ones I am intrigued by are the Innuos Statement and the Taiko Extreme...while I have heard the Taiko is 'the one', given that the Zanden DAC takes its clock from the transport, the Innuos reclocks before sending which the Taiko I am told would still require an additional external reclock for the Zanden.

Also, being a redbook person, the Innuous Statement is set up for that with its tray, burning, etc.

I have heard good things about Aurender. Look forward to hearing more.
I was looking at the Taiko Extreme and Aurender N30SA. I had previously owned or extensively auditioned Antipodes K50, Rockna WaveDreamNet, Innuos Pulse, Auralic Aries G2.1, and a few others from Sonore and Lumin.

After some careful (and agonizing) consideration, I chose to purchase an Aurender N30SA with 60 day return, because the Taiko Extreme is simply too large for my installation requirements, ( i.e., I have nowhere to put it). The N30SA, on the other hand, has two traditionally size chassis that also serve to split the weight one must handle (the Taiko weighing 99lbs).

I would say within three weeks I was convinced the N30SA was in my system to stay. I'm quite pleased with it. It's certainly the best streamer/server I have heard in my system.

I use it with a Bricasti M1 Series 2 DAC, which is connected directly to Audio Note P4 Balanced mono blocks. It sounds so good, I sold my preamplifier. The system chain is fully balanced from source to amplifiers.
 

MichaelHiFi

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Jan 6, 2022
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Congrats on the Aurender. Really fine system you have - wow. One day I wish to build an Audio Note kit. I will have a tough time deciding on what kit to build!

I'll need a streamer too, for my secondary 'upstairs' system which has a BMC S1, a Acoustic Invader preamp and a pair of Buchardt S400 M2's.
 
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charles1dad

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@Gjo
“I would say within three weeks I was convinced the N30SA was in my system to stay. I'm quite pleased with it.”

Congratulations!!
A very nice audio system you’ve assembled.
Charles
 
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