Benchmark Transport, would you buy it?

steveinaz
steveinaz Posts: 19,536
edited April 2009 in The Clubhouse
If Benchmark Media built a redbook transport, following the styling/materials used in the DAC 1; added remote control and a Coax, AES-EBU, and Toslink output, would you buy it, and and what price?
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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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 18,987
    edited April 2009
    Nope. At any price.

    Let the flame wars commence..........
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited April 2009
    Since I already have 2 Dac1s, the answer is no, but it would be a killer CD player. Especially if they added multiple digital inputs so that it retained the versatility of the Dac1. $1500 is a fair price since that is the price of the Dac1. Lower is better, of course.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
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  • NJPOLKER
    NJPOLKER Posts: 3,474
    edited April 2009
    Since I have no idea what your talking about I gotta say no. I've got a lot to learn on this subject.
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited April 2009
    No, I wouldn't buy it, 'cause I'm poor. But I would be very interested in seeing such a model. No doubt it'd be a solid piece.
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,536
    edited April 2009
    BlueFox wrote: »
    Since I already have 2 Dac1s, the answer is no, but it would be a killer CD player. Especially if they added multiple digital inputs so that it retained the versatility of the Dac1. $1500 is a fair price since that is the price of the Dac1. Lower is better, of course.

    I'm talking straight transport--no built in DAC's.
    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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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,536
    edited April 2009
    There is zero, zip, nada in the "true" transport realm--sub $1000. Why this is, I have no idea. I pitched the idea to Rory Rall, VP of Benchmark in a recent email. If Benchmark built it, I'd be all over it; probably at any price south of a grand.
    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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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited April 2009
    steveinaz wrote: »
    I'm talking straight transport--no built in DAC's.


    In that case no. Any transport that provides error free bits to the DAC is fine. Before I got my current SACD player, I was using my 1999 DVD player as the transport for the Dac1. Worked great.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,185
    edited April 2009
    I voted no due to the fact media centers today are the way to go. And they have been compared to transports and sound as good and in some cases better. Not to mention you can have your entire collection on hard drive and not worry about scratches and storing all those jewel cases.

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • wingnut4772
    wingnut4772 Posts: 7,519
    edited April 2009
    mantis wrote: »
    I voted no due to the fact media centers today are the way to go. And they have been compared to transports and sound as good and in some cases better. Not to mention you can have your entire collection on hard drive and not worry about scratches and storing all those jewel cases.

    Dan

    Me too.
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  • venomclan
    venomclan Posts: 2,467
    edited April 2009
    NO, I would wait until you bought it, wanted to upgrade, and sold it to me used. :)
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited April 2009
    No. If they are considering making a transport, why not just make an all in one unit? Why add an extra cable to the mix if it's not needed? If they decided to make an all in one unit, it should also have digital inputs, that seems to be the newest trend for versatility.
    "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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  • danz1906
    danz1906 Posts: 5,144
    edited April 2009
    No....No...No
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,536
    edited April 2009
    Of those who answered NO, would you own a redbook transport of any kind?

    I don't want an all-in-one, if I wanted that, I'd a bought a $2000 CD player instead of external DAC. Both DVD "transports" (or so-called) I tried, stunk. A Denon DVD-2910, and my Panny BluRay. Niether could compete with my CEC.
    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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  • I-SIG
    I-SIG Posts: 2,238
    edited April 2009
    I answered "no". After having dealt with a transport/DAC setup I think what the Cambridge offers and many of the Cary offers is ideal: One unit for your CD's, but digital inputs for other sources like your DVD player, etc. Best of both worlds if you ask me. Not dissing the Benchmark or anything because I know it sounds good, but one less box, power cable, etc. to futz with is fine by me, and it looks cleaner in the rack too.

    Wes
    Link: http://polkarmy.com/forums

    Panasonic TH-42PHD8UK 42" HDTV | Polk Audio SDA-SRS's (w/RDO's & Vampire Posts) + SVS PC+ 25-31 | AudioQuest Granite (mids) + BWA Silver (highs) | Cary Audio CAD-200 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Wyred 4 Sound STP/SE Pre | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Cambridge Audio azur 840C--Wadia 170i + iPod jammed w/ lossless audio--Oppo 970 | Pure|AV PF31d
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited April 2009
    steveinaz wrote: »
    Of those who answered NO, would you own a redbook transport of any kind?

    I already own multiple CD transports that work fine with the Dac1. If my current transport (SACD player) breaks I have 3 DVD players, and 2 CD players, sitting in boxes waiting to get back into the game. Consequently, for me, there really is not any compelling reason to buy another transport.

    As a side-note question, when did the CD standard name start becoming the preferred way to refer to CDs? It's just more letters to type.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
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  • venomclan
    venomclan Posts: 2,467
    edited April 2009
    steveinaz wrote: »
    Both DVD "transports" (or so-called) I tried, stunk. A Denon DVD-2910, and my Panny BluRay. Niether could compete with my CEC.

    Hi Steve,
    Can you please explain how the DVD players lacked against the CEC? I thought that the BE Dac's pretty much made the quality of the transport obsolete due to their jitter reduction. In my research, better transports gave subtle improvements. I plan to use a DAC1 with a Denon 2900, I hope it does not stink.
    Venom
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,066
    edited April 2009
    No, really wouldn't have a need for one. One of the reasons (besides it's incredible sound) I went with my present CD player (CA 840C) is it's ability to let you use it's superb DAC's when using a music server. That is one feature that I'm sure I'll be using down the road when music servers are main stream & the way to go. Stand alone players, transports, DAC's will all be dinosaurs...just like a TT. :D
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited April 2009
    No,I use a universal player for DVD-V,DVD-A, SACD and as a transport to feed my external DAC for redbook.
    Testing
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,185
    edited April 2009
    I use my Pioneer Elite Sc-07 as a external DC for my cd playback, it's outside of my SACD/DVD AUDIO/CD player and I send it over HDMI. I like that.

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,163
    edited April 2009
    A seperate transport in this day and age would have a very limited market. Monarchy tried that years ago and abandoned it fairly quickly. IIRC, the single unit they offered was sub $1K.

    I wouldn't be interested simply because I have gone the Squeezbox/music server route and so far it has worked out extremely well. It's an intersting idea and would certainly appeal to their hard core DAC crowd, but beyond that it's a very hard sell to the casual audiophile.

    Hell, even seperate DAC's are a hard sell and it's only because of computer server type systems that some companies have come back in vogue...........of course you HAVE to offer a USB port now.

    just my .02c

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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