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View Full Version : A new toy in the rack



PaulStewart
25-04-2014, 21:47
Thanks to Peter (Kember) good bloke of this parish, I picked up (following the exchange of some folding beer token), the TEAC VRDS 10 he advertised in private exhibitions. Now I'm a vinyl fan and generally for me CD is for the car and music I can't get on LP. However I think that the VRDS transports are bloody good, so in for a penny, I hooked it up using a pair of the rather nice Silvesounds cables I got from another good bloke Dan (bushytip) advertised in the same place.

I thought it would sound good but I wasn't prepared to be quite so blown away by the SQ and the separation of the thing. Spinning everything from Clapton to vintage America to new progmeisters Lifesigns it's very clean with nice extended bass and treble with good mid band detailing, attack and decay of notes and reverb is very detailed. As I said I rarely spin silver and will always go for black if it's available, but I like this and I think the Mrs. who loves the vinyl sound, is a bit happier, putting on CDs. So happy day all round, it's a real keeper. :)

Effem
25-04-2014, 22:03
I've had a few VRDS players over the years and they do sound very good.

The one thing I never did like was the quality of the mains leads they are fed with and being a captive lead is no easy task to upgrade to something better which really makes them come alive. One of them I had to drill and file the back panel hole and wish I had never started but once done and a better mains lead fitted the player took on another dimension of sound quality. The last one was a case of snipping off the captive lead as short as possible and fit a male IEC connector to the stub. It wasn't quite as good as replacing the entire lead end to end, but an easier option than fitting an IEC socket.

PaulStewart
26-04-2014, 00:38
Yes I agree it's a bit "wet string" it looks easier to fit a figure 8 socket as it doesn't need an IEC. I'm sure I can get a quality two core cable.

esperowl
26-04-2014, 06:52
Congrats Paul and thanks for your useful description of this player's capabilities.
I'm looking for a transport and it seems as though opinion is divided between those who say that different transports have little or no difference on the final sound, and those who are convinced that it does.
Assuming that it does make a difference, I was wondering if (in your experience Frank) there's much in it between the different VRDS players you've had if used solely for transport duties?

Kember
26-04-2014, 09:51
I'm glad you like it, Paul.

I'm sure I'll regret its passing but at least it is in a good home. I just don't listen to CDs that much to justify having two players and the other plays my small stash of SACDs as well. FWIW, I found it more involving and musical than the Audio Research CD-1 I had for years.

Further to other comments on here, the TEAC responded well to being put in the AG1500 chain - it likes clean mains!

P

Wakefield Turntables
26-04-2014, 09:59
Welcome to the VRDS club! I too don't spin too many of the silver beer mats but I have a small collection of approx 150 CDs that's I play from time to time. Your next upgrade should be the Bushmaster II DAC I you doNt already have one. I bought a ankaka battery and I firmly believe that the current system I have knocks spots off cd players which cost £5k+ plus and are 10-15 years younger than the beast I own. ;)

PaulStewart
26-04-2014, 11:38
Thanks again Peter, I have good clean RFI shielded mains and I use the top of the range Monster conditioners, which I find very good I've had them years. One thing though, I use three of them one is purely for the home cinema system and on the main system one has all the digital sources, CD, DAC, Mac Mini streamer, etc., and the other has all the analogue stuff. Works well.

Andy, thanks for that, I have to confess my experience of Beresford products is limited, I have only heard a Caiman and. Bushmaster very briefly with H'phones I was only fairly familiar with, I was not that impressed with what I felt was a glassiness to the presentation. Back at the point when Musicosis had 45k readers a month I did offer to do a proper review, but Stan said no thanks. On the plus side I have a 24 bit/192 kHz DAC that I had built in Hong Kong, to my spec which has class A out put and is pretty sweet. I also have a prototype of a DAC from Tannoy that never went into production, it has a Sony board that's been highly modified and may well be the best red book DAC I've ever heard :) I'll plug it up later :)

Back to this one, I'm reviewing music for the papers website and most of what I get is CD, so it's good to have a source I feel is involving and this seems to fit the bill :)

Wakefield Turntables
26-04-2014, 17:56
Andy, thanks for that, I have to confess my experience of Beresford products is limited, I have only heard a Caiman and. Bushmaster very briefly with H'phones I was only fairly familiar with, I was not that impressed with what I felt was a glassiness to the presentation. Back at the point when Musicosis had 45k readers a month I did offer to do a proper review, but Stan said no thanks. On the plus side I have a 24 bit/192 kHz DAC that I had built in Hong Kong, to my spec which has class A out put and is pretty sweet. I also have a prototype of a DAC from Tannoy that never went into production, it has a Sony board that's been highly modified and may well be the best red book DAC I've ever heard :) I'll plug it up later :)

Back to this one, I'm reviewing music for the papers website and most of what I get is CD, so it's good to have a source I feel is involving and this seems to fit the bill :)

Shooks! Some guys have some really cool equipment. :interesting:

icehockeyboy
27-04-2014, 11:35
I've tried previously to join the VRDS club, sadly both were faulty and I ended up sending them back. :(

Wakefield Turntables
27-04-2014, 11:41
I've tried previously to join the VRDS club, sadly both were faulty and I ended up sending them back. :(

Mine probably cost more than what it should have done, but it has been modded very heaily and I had postage to pay from Germany. The machine was a leap of faith which fortunately worked out for me.

PaulStewart
27-04-2014, 12:10
Just checking it out as a transport today, through either coax or optical into the Chinese DAC with the class A output stage it sounds good and I think the decay is fractionally better. Through the Tannoy protype, the sound is very "Big", transient attack is faster and it was good using the decks own proccessor. Decay is ethererial, I'm listening to some french horn pieces on a Decca CD which were recorded in a very good balanced acoustic, the natyral reverb just hangs in the air, it's a good transport as well as a good CDP.

I have an Orrelle CD10T transport which is their take on the Phillips swing arm drive. This was pricey and well reviewed back in the day, but the VRDS has the edge. I think I'll sell the Orelle as this is a keeper :) Roll on the next Audiojumble. :lol:

SLS
13-05-2014, 16:50
Paul, playing a bit of digital ??
Took the Jota to Tom for a full silver rewire (very worthwhile) and were discussing DACs. My Linn ADS was collecting dust as was so far below the black stuff, so sold it (net cost £250 for over two years ownership) and am trying some DACs, starting with a PS Audio Mk2 that Tom sells. Sounds great when I get something out of it, having driver and connectivity issues. Dave's value output unit just arrived. Better luck hopefully.
The two of us might need your computer skills !!!
Steven

PaulStewart
13-05-2014, 18:06
Hi Steven

I get so much stuff to review now that is either CD, SACD or Blu-Ray audio, I have to sort out loads of formats. At the end of the day it's all music, but it's amazing that the VRDS plays red book CD better than the Blu-Ray audio player that is supposed to be "Universal"

Any time you need a hand give me a shout, Viv and i are always ready for a trip back to my homeland :lol:

Floyddroid
26-05-2014, 21:24
I am using a Teac CD3000 at the moment and i have to say it is one of the best CD/SACD players i have owned.