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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!
rcprince
2,830 posts
 
Having heard the Levinson 37 in my system, I'd say the Sony in its stock form was close to it; however, I admit to not liking the Levinson in my system that much. Since I had the Kern modifications done to my Sony, its performance as a transport has been more pleasing to me in that it's less clinical and more musical, if that makes sense. The CEC transports are like that as well; I'd choose them over a stock Sony. But I love the Forsell sound and analog, so that's my bias.

I'm only talking redbook here. As far as the Sony sending a DSD signal, unless you get it modified or get one of the new ones with a DSD output, it won't send a DSD digital signal, you'll need to use its analog outputs for that, and there's no guarantee that the dCS 1394 port upgrade that can be put onto the Delius will lock in to any digital interface other than the one from the dCS Verdi transport (which, by the way, is an excellent transport, if you can afford it, but won't handle DVD-V or DVD-A, I believe), as my recollection is that dCS's interface is proprietary--you should check with dCS if you're looking to use it as a DAC for a DSD signal. And by the way, having heard it on a lot of occasions, the Verdi/Delius combination is top-notch, just very expensive.
gtb75 OP
6 posts
 
I'd have to agree with your comments on the Forsell. While I haven't heard it in comparison with the others, my dealer sold the Forsell transport and it did have a very analog sound from what I remember.

Believe me - I'd love to have the Verdi! Unfortunately, seeing as I just got the Delius, my audio budget needs a breather. But, after doing some more thinking, I've decided that I'd rather hold out for a Verdi and Purcell to add to my Delius. While this is not a near term goal, it's where I ultimately would like to go... Based on the sound I heard from my PCD3 (when it was working) as a transport, I don't feel that it is a terribly deficient piece and think I could be happy with it. So, rather than getting into a used transport that might have problems down the line (depending on how many hours are on it), I'll probably just get the Proceed fixed and live with it... That way, I can save my pennies for a Verdi!

For the time being, I might pick up a Philips 963 so that I can play around with SACD. Since the Delius has multiple digital inputs, I can have multiple transports connected to it at once. The other attraction to the 963 (besides the $320 price) is that it has an upsampling feature for redbook audio. While I'm sure it's no Purcell, it should prove interesting...

If anybody else has any input, I'd love to hear it... Thank you all for your help so far!
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