Good transport for under 1K?


I went ahead and got a good DAC (HOLO Spring), and I wanted to pair it with a good cd transport for my redbook collection.   There are so few on the market nowadays.  I only know of the Cambridge CXC.  I prefer new gear, so if anyone can suggest one I’d be very grateful.

T
tyan42

Any old transport including your existing one will do if it's followed by a Synchro-Mesh reclocker and a Standard BNC cable.  7 psec of jitter and upsamples to 24/96.  $974.  You will not find this in ANY transport.  All that matters in a transport is the signal quality and jitter.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

Two of my grandchildren have extensive collections of Redbook classical CDs. They both use use the Cambridge, with a separate DAC, and both have been very pleased with the transport.  

I used one before acquiring a BCD-3 spinner. No problems with the  CXC transport, but wanted an integral spinner-DAC unit. 
The Woo transport looks pretty cool.  That may work.   Don't know much about the company though.  It looks like one of those boutique audio outfits.  I've also seen a few CEC transports on EBAY for sale from Japan.  Anyone have experience with these brands?
CEC is great, I still have my TL-51X which if you can find one should come in at under $1k. However, buying from Japan most likely means a 100V version and you would need a step down transformer to lower the voltage from the wall outlet. Not a bad thing necessarily, but one more piece to acquire.
Take a look at Cambridge Audio's CXU HD.  It is a universal (Redbook, SACD, Blu-Ray, DVD, etc., etc.) transport that also streams.  Mine is paired with a Chord DAC and sounds as good as any other transport that I have had (40 years from vinyl to streaming) or heard.  Love it!  Priced +/- $700.00.
I have a rotel rc 1590 preamp with built in DAC. So, I could use the Cambridge audio as a transport?  How would I connect the two for the best sound?
This is an excellent transport that I have hooked up to my DS Sr. via I2S. Also as it is a half size component takes up very little shelf room.

https://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=NPCDT8
Woo Audio has been in business for many years and has a reputation for building quality products.
No affiliation, I know some satisfied owners of their amps.

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0114/woo_audio_wtp_1_wds_1.htm


Maritime 51,

If your Rotel has an RCA  digital input for the DAC section it should be no more than running a good 75 ohm digital rca cable between the Cambridge and the preamp, but check your owners manual. 

I have modded the CEC, Sony, Electrocompaniet, Mark Levinson and many other transports over 10 years to improve their jitter.  My modded Sony DVP-7700 was a reference for many years.  None of these are as good as the Synchro-Mesh added to a transport.  If you want the best performance, this is it.  The added bonus is you get 24/96 upsampling and galvanic isolation, so no ground-loop.  30-day money-back, less shipping.

If you believe that somehow transports impart some sort of magic on the audio, you are simply wrong.  It's ONLY about jitter, signal integrity and impedance matching.  99% of transports don't deliver on these.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

I would listen to Steve (audioengr) on this. Your <$1,000 would be better spent on a box that fixes jitter than on a pretty box that creates it but can’t fix it. I assume you already/still have a cd player with digital output that you are using now?

On another subject, Herb Reichert inadvertently reviewed the Holoaudio Spring DAC for Stereophile using the Triode Wire Labs Digital-American Series power cord. When he replaced that power cord with a generic cord, the Spring list some of its magic. If you do not already have one, a good power cord may also add more listening value than a fancy transport.
Steve, I use a Rotel RCD 1572. How would I use and connect your product. 

@maritime51 - Simple.  Just use a 1.5m coax cable from your Rotel Transport digital coax output to the Synchro-Mesh input and a second high-quality 1.5m coax cable from the Synchro-Mesh output to any DAC coax input.  The output of the DAC is left and right channel analog.

A few transports actually have digital coax input, so you can use the transport and the DAC in the same component and reclock the signal for improved clarity and imaging.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

Thanks. I forgot to mention my Rotel rc1590, with built in dac. So, I’d put your device between the two?  Thanks
Steve,  Thanks, I read up in this Synchro-Mesh component you make.  Very interesting stuff I never knew about how these things work.  Is this product made by many other brands, or are you pretty much the only one sells them?  Looks like a great product I could use, but between the cost of the DAC, transport, cables..  It's just a little out of my price range for the cd playing section of my system.     

 I read up in this Synchro-Mesh component you make. Very interesting stuff I never knew about how these things work. Is this product made by many other brands, or are you pretty much the only one sells them?

Many other companies have reclockers.  None like the Synchro-Mesh though.  See the jitter measurements:

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=157348.0

There are 2 fundamental things that make a good audio system and everything else is secondary:  Quality speakers and synergy with the amplifier and an excellent source.  The SM provides the excellent source.

Everything of course matters to some extent as it is a system.

Steve N.