D&M will end production M3 optical transport at the end of July 2024

[jeromelang]

Funny thing about the optical drives that Marantz uses on its flagship player and those that they supplied to hi-end brands:

On the SA-10, the optical drive allows users to skip forward tracks while it is in stop mode.

On those optical drives that Marantz supplied to other hi-end brands, it seems that skipping tracks forward while in stop mode is disabled.

They are all supposed to be the same m3 drives, but perhaps the operation software is different.

I confirm this on the following players:

Playback Designs MPS-8
Soulnote S3
TAD

This is not a trivia thing.

Sound can never be optimized if the user can not use the skip tracks forward function to cue up tracks to play. No matter how good, how well designed the dac section, a good listener is still able to hear the sonic degradation when using the remote control numerical keys to select tracks to play.

Marantz is also clueless on the above, but it is a puzzle why marantz chose to provide different operational software to their customers.

 

[RnRmf]

Sound can never be optimized if the user can not use the skip tracks forward function to cue up tracks to play. No matter how good, how well designed the dac section, a good listener is still able to hear the sonic degradation when using the remote control numerical keys to select tracks to play.

Can you offer more detail about this statement?

 

[jeromelang]

Can you offer more detail about this statement?

Read this first about the methodology i use to play optical discs

Do You Still Play Compact Discs?

Why? I really don't understand. In this time and age, why do the same recordings on CDs made in different countries/continents still continue to sound so different in quality? In hindsight I should have known better, but I was too eager to secure a copy before it was completely sold out that I...

www.whatsbestforum.com

 

[jeromelang]

optimizing optical disc transport/player sound

Since the M3 D&M optical transport that Playback Designs use is not capable to allow users to skip forward tracks while in STOP mode, I have devised another way to make it sound closer to the ideal. This below are the steps:

- power off transport/player completely (including the back panel switch)
- while in powered off status, press (all) the keys on the top panel a few times (to clear residual "something" for lack of better word)
- power up player, let it settle and exhibit the no disc sign
- load the disc, close tray and let it read and fully settle (listen for signs that the disc has stopped spinning inside)
- press the play button front panel

if you are using a transport only device and digitally outputing to external dac:
- shut down dac together with the transport
- do the above to the trasport
- when the loaded disc is fully settled and no longer spinnning, power up the dac.
- press the play button front panel of the transport.

keep the remote control in the carton box

 

[Cutlr7]

I wonder how the purchase of Sound United portfolio companies by Harman might impact this.....