CD transports - do they matter?

[Mike]

When I say

After reading through this again and again

I mean the whole thread.

Cheers,
Mike.

[Marco]

Well I would say "yes", most definitely, but it depends what you're looking for and what your circumstances are, as Phil has outlined.

I'll never sell my Sony even when I get a computer audio set-up

Marco.

[Filterlab]

I would say maybe, bearing in mind a reknowned hi-fi magazine use a Pioneer PDR-609 as a transport (admittedly sitting in front of a dCS Elgar) as a test source for amps and speakers. Saying that the PDR-609 is a marvellous player in its own right, but by no means high end.

The same magazine said whilst testing the Accustic Arts Tube DAC that it made no difference to the DAC what transport was popped in front of it - they even tried it with a £9.99 Alba DVD player if I remember correctly.

[Phil Bishop]

hehe...

My answer 'no', is in response to the thread title.

Yes, I should have realised this. I was so much in the computer audio frame of mind that I had forgotten the original thread topic. BTW, I don't think my answer to the thread topic is "no", rather "not that much". Rather line the Alba Rob mentions above, I was amazed at what a £15 Asda CD/DVD could do in front of a low budget DAC. However, I have not experienced the high end CDTs Marco has referred to - maybe if I had (or had a better system) my answer would be "yes". But for now, I am taken with the computer as source idea.

[fiver]

I'll never sell my Sony even when I get a computer audio set-up

Marco.

Hi, are they difficult to sell? why keep it if you are getting a computer.

[Marco]

Hi fiver,

Welcome to the forum

The answer to your question is no. I also have a computer (hence why I'm able to reply to you now ). It's a computer audio set-up I don't have yet. To that end I intend to buy a music server of some type in due course.

Where are you from and what system have you got?

Marco.

[sastusbulbas]

I still prefer proper CD transports to PC and Mac or DVD.

I am still interested in improving my computer audio at some point, but cost is prohibitive at the moment, and a manufacturer has bet me to the post with my dedicated audio PC transport/player based on touch screen, solid state HD and the like idea.

I am still waiting to see true 24/196 digital output and more free or less expensive downloads in this format.

[fiver]

Thanks Marco, I'm from Harborne, UK, W. Mids. I have Quad with a TD124, but at the moment I'm refitting to a computer based system. I don't think the music servers will catch on with audio enthusiasts. They cost ten times as much as as computer and from what I've heard, they don't sound as good. Some dealers are pushing them, but I think that is from the profit potential. Also I think they will appeal to wealthy people who want ready made convenience at the expense of sound quality. Also you can use valves with a computer system if you want to, although I've sold my Quad2's and now use 33/303 and 34/fm4/306.

[Mr. C]

Some good points raised here, though I feel the point has been missed, the ability to stream uncorrupted high definition digital data into a transference device with zero bit errors negates the need for a physical transport to be present verbaitum.
Our new reference reply system includes both transport and *stream drive*, the transport is purely used for customers own music and back cataloging, the differences are chasmic in the least descriptives terms.
Those in the future looking for 'real' sounds will not be using a traditional method of digital data transfer to the dac. Also as desirable as nos dac are in some quarters, their performance simply can not unleash the performance of the new formats.
Transports will still be very much in evidence for making the use for people current cd collection, until the achieve onto HD.
Most interesting times afoot

[fiver]

Mr C, is what you're saying, that for high definition audio,transports are dead except for inputting data files from discs.