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Transport for a dCS Delius - HELP



Hey all - first post!

I just purchased a dCS Delius off of Audiogon last week. Suffice it to say - it's AMAZING!!! I was planning to use my current Proceed PCD3 as a transport for the Delius, but it started to malfunction shortly after I got the Delius (Murphy's Law?)... It's at my dealer for inspection / service right now, but now I'm looking at transport alternatives. At the moment, I'm stuck using a Nakamichi MB-2 to feed the Delius and hear a huge difference between it and the PCD3 (when it was working), so I know that there's more to a transport than just 1's and 0's... My 2-channel system is as follows:

-Proceed PCD3 used as a Transport
-dCS Delius used as DAC/Pre-Amp
-Threshold T200 Amp
-Thiel CS 3.6 Speakers
-Transparent Super/Ultra Cables

Originally, I was looking at a Proceed CDD or possibly a CEC TL-2, but now I'm reading about these new DVD/SACD/CD (such as the Philips 963sa) players out there. My question is, do any of these "combo" units truly compare to a good "CD only" transport for redbook audio playback? Since there is no video in my 2-channel system, the video aspect of the combo players means nothing to me. This would be purely a 2-channel audio transport. I just find it hard to comprehend connecting a consumer DVD player to a DAC like the Delius...

Are my speculations correct, or are these new combo units the real deal??? If any of you have made the comparison between a mid/high end dedicated CD transport and one of the combo players, I'd really enjoy hearing your feedback / opinion!
gtb75
dr_joe
148 posts
 
I can't see the one-box units you mentioned comparing to a really high quality dedicated transport. But then I'm no expert. I'd say the best deal on a true audiophile transport would be another one-box unit: the Sony SCD-777ES CD/SACD player. Used, they run, typically, $1300-1600. Check the original Stereophile review, where they reviewer praises the unit as a state-of-the-art transport, plus you get Redbook and SACD playback as a bonus.

Good luck and happy listening!
rcprince
2,830 posts
 
I'd tend to agree with Dr joe, much as it doesn't make sense to me logically. I have a Forsell, Sony SCD 777ES and Marantz DV-18 which I have used at various times to feed my Audio Logic DAC, and damned if they don't all sound different. Forsell is clearly the best, Sony second and Marantz third. However, if you are looking for a player to do double/triple duty I'd avoid the cheaper combo units and go for something substantial like the Sony, I think you'd be better off. In this regard, I wonder if the Esoteric/TEAC universal players might not be good transports, as their standalone transports are top-notch.
gtb75 OP
6 posts
 
Thanks for the responses so far - keep them coming!

Do you really feel that the SCD-777ES hybrid player (used as a transport with my Delius) is as strong as a dedicated redbook transport like the Proceed CDD (essentially a Mark Levinson 37) or a CEC TL-2? Also, my Delius does not have the 1394 port upgrade, so would it be even able to decode SACD/DSD?

Just to clarify, SACD isn't a requirement for me, but many of the combo players that I'm reading about such as the Denon 2900 and Philips 963 have the capability to play SACD. If I ended up with one of those units, it would be used exclusively as a transport to feed the Delius...

Thanks again!
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