CD Transport or Player

[admin_exported]

Hi All

I recently acquired a Benchmark DAC1, which is the first step on the road to changing my system to an all digital set-up. I have all my music on an external drive, which I stream wirelessly to a Squeezebox and then to DAC and amplifier.

I would still like the ability to play compact discs so need a player or better still a dedicated transport. It just seems that are a plenty of players with digital output but all the transports I can find seem to come with a thousand pound plus price tag. I really don’t want to buy a cheap player with a low quality transport that probably needs replacing fairly quickly and also not use the rest of the rest of the electronics (DAC etc). I also feel that fifteen hundred pounds for something like the Cyrus transport is a bit over the top.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

 

[Anonymous]

How about buying a second hand one - I got an Audiolab CDM transport for about 400 quid some years ago. They must still be around.

David

 

[Bodfish]

I would suggest you seek out a used Meridian 500 transport (not that I'm biased...).

I picked up mine for £300 in fleabay - try to find a Mk II version if you can.

 

[chebby]

Rega Apollo.

£475

Simple top loader mechanism with less moving parts to go wrong.

If your Benchmark ever needs repair then you would still have a good standard of CD replay to fall back on.

 

[Frank Harvey]

The only drawback about buying older players/transports is that many of the older laser mechanisms are no longer available. Do check with the manufacturer about serviceability before spending your hard earned cash on what was a luxury player at the time - however tempting it is!!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies. I agree I would rather buy new with a guarantee and also spare parts would (hopefully) be available.

Does anyone have any knowledge about the Cyrus CD Xt SE+? I must admit I'm a little put off about reports of reliabilty problems.

I am a bit suprised that more companies are not thinking about transports as there are now many uses for stand alone DAC's and I feel that reports that C.D. is dead are a little premature.

 

[jockey.wilson]

Have a look at the other thread here reference CD XT SE+. I have had no issues. Sounds amazing.

http://community.whathifi.com/forums/t/385009.aspx

 

[theadmans]

Well if you want to save money a Pioneer stable platter CD Player makes a great transport.

I own a PD-S705 (bagged in mint condition on eBay for £39).

This stable platter transport was used in high-end Wadia machines. Also the Pioneer allows you to switch off the analogue outputs so the machine acts as a Digital transport only.

The Pioneer is fast, quiet and reads even the most scratched up discs.

 

[Anonymous]

So is it safe to say that problems Cyrus had with reading disks is now fixed?

 

[Anonymous]

zekezebra:So is it safe to say that problems Cyrus had with reading disks is now fixed?

Well.... HFC tested the new cdxtse++++++++ or whatever in march 2010 issue and it appears still to be an issue. I think its fair to say if you want to buy one make sure you get a real good long demo with lots of discs.....like I said before ...this really should not be still an issue....but it is.

 

[jockey.wilson]

Certainly true that the SE players don't like anything other than 'Red Book' CD's (ie not CD-R).

As I say, no issues with my 2010 model which I have had for some months.

 

[Craig M.]

i had one on home dem, it still doesn't feel like the most robust slot loader i've used, and there is a knack to getting it to take a disc from you so it reads it. seemed a bit smoother then my mac but maybe not as detailed, small difference though.

 

[PJPro]

zekezebra:
Hi All

I recently acquired a Benchmark DAC1, which is the first step on the road to changing my system to an all digital set-up. I have all my music on an external drive, which I stream wirelessly to a Squeezebox and then to DAC and amplifier.

I would still like the ability to play compact discs so need a player or better still a dedicated transport. It just seems that are a plenty of players with digital output but all the transports I can find seem to come with a thousand pound plus price tag. I really don't want to buy a cheap player with a low quality transport that probably needs replacing fairly quickly and also not use the rest of the rest of the electronics (DAC etc). I also feel that fifteen hundred pounds for something like the Cyrus transport is a bit over the top.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

If you have all your music on an HDD, why would you want to use a CDP? I don't get it.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

zekezebra:

Hi All

I recently acquired a Benchmark DAC1, which is the first step on the road to changing my system to an all digital set-up. I have all my music on an external drive, which I stream wirelessly to a Squeezebox and then to DAC and amplifier.

I would still like the ability to play compact discs so need a player or better still a dedicated transport. It just seems that are a plenty of players with digital output but all the transports I can find seem to come with a thousand pound plus price tag. I really don't want to buy a cheap player with a low quality transport that probably needs replacing fairly quickly and also not use the rest of the rest of the electronics (DAC etc). I also feel that fifteen hundred pounds for something like the Cyrus transport is a bit over the top.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

Hi zekzebra

If it is to be used a transport only than the player i would highly recommend is Yamaha's CD-S700. It has the same superb transport/drive as the one used in their massive CD-S1000/CD-S2000 players.

I have used the CD-S700 as a transport with the Naim DAC and the Chord Electronics QBD76 DAC and it has worked superbly with both of them.

These Yamaha cd transports/drive are superb and can show some more expensive alternatives a thing or two. Best of all they work time after time.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

From a previous reply:
If you have all your music on an HDD, why would you want to use a CDP? I don't get it.

Two reasons:

[*]My partner, who does not live with me, is an avid buyer of C.D.'s which she often brings around and wants to play them straight away.
Sometimes the wireless network can be a bit patchy so it's good to be able to still play the C.D.