Suggestions Needed for a 2-Channel CD Transport

falconcry72
falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
edited November 2011 in 2 Channel Audio
Looking for a good CD transport/universal player for around 500 bucks. This will be for my main 2-channel music rig.

- Used is cool
- DAC's don't matter (I will only be using it as a digital transport), but having good DAC's is a bonus
- Video doesn't matter
- SACD/DVD Audio is not necessary, but a bonus
- Must look cool :smile:
- Must have a remote
- Must sound better than the Parasound CDP-1000 I'm currently using

I will mainly be using this player as a comparison tool for my PC-based audio setup. My goal is to make my PC-based system sound as good as a good CD transport, so I need to have a good CD transport to know if I've succeeded!

Thanks for input!:cheesygrin:
2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
Post edited by falconcry72 on
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Comments

  • dkg999
    dkg999 Posts: 5,647
    edited November 2011
    Used Jolida 100 or almost any of the Cambridge Audio CDP's if you are just looking for a solid transport. With the Jolida you also get the opportunity to experiment with the tubed output section. I'm really not sure you are going to find a much more solid transport than your Parasound. The Jolida and CA units are at least more recent and should have a higher probability of being repaired if they break.
    DKG999
    HT System: LSi9, LSiCx2, LSiFX, LSi7, SVS 20-39 PC+, B&K 507.s2 AVR, B&K Ref 125.2, Tripplite LCR-2400, Cambridge 650BD, Signal Cable PC/SC, BJC IC, Samsung 55" LED

    Music System: Magnepan 1.6QR, SVS SB12+, ARC pre, Parasound HCA1500 vertically bi-amped, Jolida CDP, Pro-Ject RM5.1SE TT, Pro-Ject TubeBox SE phono pre, SBT, PS Audio DLIII DAC
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited November 2011
    dkg999 wrote: »
    Used Jolida 100 or almost any of the Cambridge Audio CDP's if you are just looking for a solid transport. With the Jolida you also get the opportunity to experiment with the tubed output section. I'm really not sure you are going to find a much more solid transport than your Parasound. The Jolida and CA units are at least more recent and should have a higher probability of being repaired if they break.

    Thanks for the suggestions.

    Yea, I don't really know what to expect SQ wise in a transport upgrade. I only paid 100 bucks for the Parasound, so I figured I could do better... maybe not. I partially also want to upgrade just to free up the Parasound to go to a secondary all Parasound 2-channel rig. :smile:
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited November 2011
    I second Cambridge for a good solid transport that isn't gonna break you.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • EDUBAG
    EDUBAG Posts: 403
    edited November 2011
    according to stereophile the oppo dv980h is excellent as a transport, it is a universal player (except for bluray) and can be used as a preamp as well. you can find one used for around 100 bucks. there is one now on the fs, guy is asking 160 but it includes a few sacd discs.

    good luck,

    eduardo
    HT:
    POLK AUDIO RTI4 FRONTS
    CSI3 CENTER
    DEF TECH PROMONITOR800 SURROUNDS
    PSW 125 SUB
    PIONEER ELITE AVR23TXH AVR
    APPLE TV 160GB
    PANASONIC BLURAY PLAYER
    50" PANASONIC PLASMA TCP50C2

    2 CHANNEL:
    KEF R300 THREE WAY BOOKSHELF GLOSS PIANO BLACK
    ROTEL RC 990BX PRE
    ROTEL RB 990BX AMP
    OPPO DV980 (AS CD PLAYER)
    PIONEER PL100 TURNTABLE WITH SHURE MX97E CART
    MIT EXP2 SPEAKER CABLES
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  • Paden501
    Paden501 Posts: 286
    edited November 2011
    I can vouch for the Jolida JD-100. It is a good transport and meets your athetic requirements. The remote is robust also, and the tubes are nice. I have mine hooked up both ways (via the tubed analog output and the digital) so that I can judge the tubed output vs various DACs, etc.

    It is a little pricy though. I got mine used, but a new or modified unit can go as high as $900.
    ~Matt
    My System

    Front L/R: Definitive BP10Bs
    Surrounds -Polk Audio Monitor 4As
    Preamp: B&K Reference 20
    CD: Jolida JD100a
    L/R Amp: Carver TFM-24
    Turntable: Pioneer PL-516 W/ Shure M97xe
    TV: Sony 52" XBR9
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  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited November 2011
    Anyone have some suggestions with a few more stipulations? Those being:

    1. Must have XLR, BNC and RCA digital output
    2. Must be made in U.S.A, England, Japan, Germany or another similar country with high quality standards. Yes, the brand makes a difference but I prefer non Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean, etc. made gear.

    Greg
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....

    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited November 2011
    I too would like a BNC output in addition to a coaxial SPDIF.
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited November 2011
    If you want BNC and AES, this is the cheapest that I know of: http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlplay&1324220844&/Audio-Research-CD-2-Price-redu
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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