Transports

[Gadusmorhua]

A few minutes research told me this is another audio can of worms, but nevertheless:

Could I expect to notice a difference between my Marantz 6000 OSE CD player (which I use as a transport) and the Audiolab 6000 CDT transport ?

I've been offered one at a very good price from a friend, but up until now was happy enough with the Marantz, so naturally I am becoming totally eaten up by the idea I may be missing something. Or not .

 

[Roger_A]

A few minutes research told me this is another audio can of worms, but nevertheless:

Could I expect to notice a difference between my Marantz 6000 OSE CD player (which I use as a transport) and the Audiolab 6000 CDT transport ?

I've been offered one at a very good price from a friend, but up until now was happy enough with the Marantz, so naturally I am becoming totally eaten up by the idea I may be missing something. Or not .

As it's from a friend could you not ask to try it out perhaps with a commitment to buy if you consider it gives a worthwhile improvement?

 

[Dave_]

Could I expect to notice a difference between my Marantz 6000 OSE CD player (which I use as a transport) and the Audiolab 6000 CDT transport ?

No.

 

[darch]

I use my blu-ray player as a transport via coax to a Topping E50 DAC, a reveiwer in a HI-FI magazine claimed his blu-ray player had better error corection than his CD player, true or not I don't know, but having moved some of my stuff around I'm thinking of trying my CD/SACD player as transport to see if I notice any difference. Dave

 

[Revolutions]

FWIW, I had a cheap NAD cd player connected to the amp as a transport. When I replaced it with the Cambridge audio cd transport it definitely sounded better to me.

 

[matthewpianist]

No.

Seconded.

 

[Gadusmorhua]

As it's from a friend could you not ask to try it out perhaps with a commitment to buy if you consider it gives a worthwhile improvement?

Unfortunately he's in London and I'm in Wales, and i get the impression he would like to move it on so he has the cash for his upgrade.

 

[Gadusmorhua]

Seconded.

From my research it seems equally divided between the 'get yourself a Lidl CDP' or the 'audiophile transport'.

 

[Gadusmorhua]

FWIW, I had a cheap NAD cd player connected to the amp as a transport. When I replaced it with the Cambridge audio cd transport it definitely sounded better to me.

When I changed from a Marantz 52 to 6000 OSE (for the digital outputs) I wasn't sure if I could hear a difference, but when I gave the old one away it sounded inferior.
Without a doubt, better players read discs and correct better, I'm hoping a transport sounds better. I hadn't even thought about it until his offer, but it isn't a huge sum to find out for myself, and I guess my Marantz won't go on forever.

 

[RoA]

I use a 6000cdt. Whilst I can't comment on differences with fully featured CD players Audiolab know a thing or two about digital implementations and the device is optimised to simply act as a transport. The company is not prone to foo. Having said that, they have higher priced transports which may be superior in the right system. I only bought it for a handful of CD's I have collected after a decade long hiatus from the media. Combined with a lowly Chord DAC it is superb imho.

 

[matthewpianist]

I use a 6000cdt. Whilst I can't comment on differences with fully featured CD players Audiolab know a thing or two about digital implementations and the device is optimised to simply act as a transport. The company is not prone to foo. Having said that, they have higher priced transports which may be superior in the right system. I only bought it for a handful of CD's I have collected after a decade long hiatus from the media. Combined with a lowly Chord DAC it is superb imho.

I don't doubt the 6000CDT is a solid transport, but Audiolab can be prone to foo. I refer you to their DC Block.

 

[RoA]

I don't doubt the 6000CDT is a solid transport, but Audiolab can be prone to foo. I refer you to their DC Block.

Their DC blockers work and are hardly overpriced. As with any DC blocker, they can only do so much and only if the issue actually exists. There is enough positive feedback available to confirm this. Negative reports indicate problems either exceeding what the device can do or a different issue. I repeat, Audiolab are not usually involved in foo.

I had one (I will find a photo) but really just ordered it out of curiosity. My amplifier did not have a problem to begin with. I did send it back. It is solidly made for the £100 I paid and it still seems to be the same price now.

 

[matthewpianist]

Their DC blockers work and are hardly overpriced. As with any DC blocker, they can only do so much and only if the issue actually exists. There is enough positive feedback available to confirm this. Negative reports indicate problems either exceeding what the device can do or a different issue. I repeat, Audiolab are not usually involved in foo.

Fair enough, but to me that unit is foo. Audiolab make some very capable gear, but I have to say that my experience has largely been of it being technically competent but generally unengaging - an issue I have with most IAG electronics, except the Leak Stereo 130.

 

[RoA]

Fair enough, but to me that unit is foo. Audiolab make some very capable gear, but I have to say that my experience has largely been of it being technically competent but generally unengaging - an issue I have with most IAG electronics, except the Leak Stereo 130.

Subjective and with everything Hifi, system dependant. Most of Audiolabs products have a long history of evolving. They know what they are doing . Where they have failed somewhat imho is by using DTS Play-fi as a platform for streamers.

 

[nopiano]

The Audiolab probably sounds fine, though I’m not sure I’ve ever heard one. It’s been widely praised in various reviews, however.

My caution would be about the ergonomics of a slot loading CD. I much prefer dropping a CD into a nice drawer, than posting it through a slot. I’m not saying, as some do, that it’ll scratch your discs, but it might be more fuss than you’re used to.

 

[RoA]

The Audiolab probably sounds fine, though I’m not sure I’ve ever heard one. It’s been widely praised in various reviews, however.

My caution would be about the ergonomics of a slot loading CD. I much prefer dropping a CD into a nice drawer, than posting it through a slot. I’m not saying, as some do, that it’ll scratch your discs, but it might be more fuss than you’re used to.

Without wanting to read like I am on commission for Audiolab sales I had the same thought. However, the transport is super smooth when eating and throwing up discs. If a tray loader has a nice slim, smooth metal tray ala VRDS I would probably prefer that but I don't like rattly plastic ones.

 

[Hawkwind16]

The main advantage of using a CD transport is in using a high quality external DAC.
You may find using the digital out on a cd player will get you close.

 

[Gadusmorhua]

Well, I've gone for it. These things start to eat into you, and it was a bargain- I hope.
I will report back once I've listened, and try my best to be objective. My Marantz sounds great through my cxa61 amp though, not sure if I'll notice anything.
Having said that I've sat down switching inputs between Tidal and CD, and much prefer CD.

 

[Al ears]

Well, I've gone for it. These things start to eat into you, and it was a bargain- I hope.
I will report back once I've listened, and try my best to be objective. My Marantz sounds great through my cxa61 amp though, not sure if I'll notice anything.
Having said that I've sat down switching inputs between Tidal and CD, and much prefer CD.

Can I take it you are using the DAC in the CXA61 and not an external one?

 

[Gadusmorhua]

Can I take it you are using the DAC in the CXA61 and not an external one?

Yes, at least most of the time. Sometimes I use my Chord Mojo as the DAC, which produces a different sound, nicer with vocals. I really like the DAC in the 61, previously I owned a Denon 600ne and had recourse to the Mojo far more often. I suppose one day I ought to find a 'better' dac, but right now I'm still blown away by my recent upgrades.

 

[Gadusmorhua]

I've now had a day's listening of my 60000cdt. I've kept my old Marantz 6000ose to hand so I can return to compare at a later date.
I fully realise all the limitations of trusting my own ears, but they're all I have, and the difference was so noticeable I would be surprised if it were all placebo. Indeed, so what if it were all placebo effect , I'm over the moon with what I'm hearing, or think I'm hearing. Night and day, as you audiophiles say. I'm lucky I'm at this end of hifi, where differences are bigger.
At the moment it's going through the cxa61 dac, but my cxn100 v2 is being delivered today, so I will try using that as a preamp. They say its dac is superior to the amp's, we'll see.
I'm please with all my upgrades so far, in any case I needed to spend my National Grid power cut compo before my wife got her hands on it