Recommendation(s) for a reasonable cost Transport for use w/ Chord Dave DAC

DucMann

New Member
Oct 24, 2015
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Hello, first query for me here, although I've spent a number of hours reading & learning from this excellent forum

Grateful for any suggestions esp from owners of the transports I'm considering...

My old Wadia CDP needs a new laser, and this is proving problematic obtaining one at a cost that makes sense. SO, looking for decent sounding, reliable transport to use w/ Chord Dave DAC. My budget is $500 - to an absolute max of $3k but really my goal is keeping to or under $2k. Typically I buy lightly used gear.

Considering: PS Audio PWT (used are avail in the $2k range), Simaudio Neo 260d (w/o internal dac) new $2k haven't come across any used. Esoteric P05 (used avail for around $3k); Esoteric P03 if possible in my price range or not far from it.

I have a good vinyl rig; and a server set up using the Dave to Stream Tidal and have around 1000 cd's loaded in the server. Even so, sometimes I just want to play a cd... Have heard an older PS and Esoteric in the past, but not recently. Haven't heard or even seen the Simaudio Neo 260. It has gotten good reviews.

An advantage of the PS is its 64g memory play feature, but a knock for me is it uses a computer type drive. I've had to replace 3 of these in other gear so am not keen on them. Esoteric is known for their solid drives and build... The Neo is recent, and w/ in $ range.

Suggestions on Digital cables are also appreciated. PS recommends HDMI but n/a on Dave, so AES balanced XLR is most likely what I need. I mainly have Transparent interconnects (not the latest stuff); and use Audience SX RCA from dac to pre & Audience USB to server.

Many T H A N K S,

Bruce
 

paul79

Well-Known Member
Nov 2, 2014
216
33
258
OK, USA
www.manymoonsaudio.com
Having spent a good amount of time with the DAVE I have now, I did try AES/EBU into the DAVE, and it sounded great with my Totaldac Server/Reclocker using its AES/EBU output.

I also tried a few different AES/EBU cables, and liked my custom AES/EBU that I made as well as the Antipodes Kokiri. The Kokiri gave a very smooth presentation where mine is more transparent and clear sounding with more richness.

Dan from ModWright is doing a Marantz SACD Player with his own set of upgrades. He will be offering transport only upgrades as well, so you may want to contact him!!
 
Last edited:

Anatta

Well-Known Member
Apr 10, 2014
26
3
108
Bel Canto CD3t transport ($1.5k), has a BNC SPDIF output also.

http://www.belcantodesign.com/home/eone/cd3t/

 

caesar

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
4,290
767
1,698
Hard to go against Esoteric. They have been innovating on transports since the dark ages of digital, and even uber guys like dcs procure their transports from them.

Unless you are going to start getting different transports and trying them in your system, Esoteric seems like the "rational choice" in my book if you are "buying blind".
 

caesar

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
4,290
767
1,698
Having spent a good amount of time with the DAVE I have now, I did try AES/EBU into the DAVE, and it sounded great with my Totaldac Server/Reclocker using its AES/EBU output.

I also tried a few different AES/EBU cables, and liked my custom AES/EBU that I made as well as the Antipodes Kokiri. The Kokiri gave a very smooth presentation where mine is more transparent and clear sounding with more richness.

Dan from ModWright is doing a Marantz SACD Player with his own set of upgrades. He will be offering transport only upgrades as well, so you may want to contact him!!

Hi,

Do you, by chance, have one of the TotalDac DACs as well as the chord dave? If so, what are the sonic differences between them? thanks!
 

Al M.

VIP/Donor
Sep 10, 2013
8,678
4,467
963
Greater Boston
Hello, first query for me here, although I've spent a number of hours reading & learning from this excellent forum ????

Grateful for any suggestions esp from owners of the transports I'm considering...

My old Wadia CDP needs a new laser, and this is proving problematic obtaining one at a cost that makes sense. SO, looking for decent sounding, reliable transport to use w/ Chord Dave DAC. My budget is $500 - to an absolute max of $3k but really my goal is keeping to or under $2k. Typically I buy lightly used gear.

Considering: PS Audio PWT (used are avail in the $2k range), Simaudio Neo 260d (w/o internal dac) new $2k haven't come across any used. Esoteric P05 (used avail for around $3k); Esoteric P03 if possible in my price range or not far from it.

I have a good vinyl rig; and a server set up using the Dave to Stream Tidal and have around 1000 cd's loaded in the server. Even so, sometimes I just want to play a cd... Have heard an older PS and Esoteric in the past, but not recently. Haven't heard or even seen the Simaudio Neo 260. It has gotten good reviews. ??

An advantage of the PS is its 64g memory play feature, but a knock for me is it uses a computer type drive. I've had to replace 3 of these in other gear so am not keen on them. Esoteric is known for their solid drives and build... The Neo is recent, and w/ in $ range.

Suggestions on Digital cables are also appreciated. PS recommends HDMI but n/a on Dave, so AES balanced XLR is most likely what I need. I mainly have Transparent interconnects (not the latest stuff); and use Audience SX RCA from dac to pre & Audience USB to server.

Many T H A N K S,

Bruce

Look no further than the Simaudio Neo 260 DT.

I recommend it for two reasons:

1. When I had to replace my Wadia 8 transport, I compared it with the Simaudio Neo 260 DT. No difference in all areas tested -- microdynamics, macrodynamics, timbre, timbral resolution, spatial resolution, rhythm and timing, bass, treble, you name it. I bought the unit.

2. Apart from the dCS Vivaldi stack, the best digital playback (high-res included) that Peter A. and I have heard was from CD through the Simaudio Neo 260 DT decoded via dCS Rossini DAC (with an MIT AES/EBU cable of double the price of the transport, at $ 4K), see link:

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...le-Redbook-CD-afternoon-at-Goodwin-s-High-End

Thus, the Simaudio transport plays at a very elevated level. It is much more likely that other components in your system may be limiting than would be the transport (this certainly is the case in mine, and my DAC, a Berkeley Alpha 2, is no slouch either).

I play also at home with an AES/EBU cable, a used MIT Proline. AES/EBU is considered superior, and is also standard on the allegedly best servers on the market, Baetis. Berkeley Audio also strongly prefers AES/EBU.
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
1,490
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Eastern WA
Bel Canto is good stuff, under-credited really. The requirements for a transport (digital out) aren't really high, it just has to put out a digital stream without lots of noise on it. The Oppo's do just that, just fine.

Now if you want a CD player, not just a transport, then get prepared to spend as much $ as you can manage for something good. Oppo's, even heavily modified by ModWright, are bad for analog out.

Here's what I'd do. Buy an Oppo if you want all the nutty options, DVD, Blu-Ray, Netflix, etc.... if you want simple and elegant buy the Bel Canto.
 

DucMann

New Member
Oct 24, 2015
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0
Many thanks for all who replied! Good food for thought. Need to see the Simaudio in person before deciding. I still like Esoteric IF I can find one at my price. Will look at Bel Canto, other than hearing of their name I've got zero familiarity. If I didn't already own a top notch DAC (Dave) the Oppo (possibly modded) would have made sense, but my DAC is superior I'd say, and the Oppo transport isn't as robust as the other Tp's in consideration. Oppo makes great stuff & strong value.
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
1,490
520
Eastern WA
"robust? A transport doesn't have a to do much... The only positive for an Oppo is that it measures extremely well so it can output a good digital signal. The analog side is junk on them. I think you're getting sucked into the senseless hole of thinking transports truly vary in quality without having some sort of flaw that makes them different enough to believe they're uniquely better.
 

RayDunzl

New Member
Jun 26, 2014
289
2
0
Tampa
I still spin CDs, and needed a new drive. "Skippy" just wasn't cutting it any more.

Being rather frugal, I bought a Tascam CD-200 and use its digital outputs to feed the DAC2.

http://tascam-ca.com/product/cd-200/overview/

About $220.
 

paul79

Well-Known Member
Nov 2, 2014
216
33
258
OK, USA
www.manymoonsaudio.com
Hi,

Do you, by chance, have one of the TotalDac DACs as well as the chord dave? If so, what are the sonic differences between them? thanks!

Yes, I have the 4 box Twelve, as well as the DAVE here. The Twelve is more transparent and more intimate, closer to the sound of un-amplified music. DAVE is very good though.
 

Lee

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Feb 3, 2011
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1,260
Alpharetta, Georgia

dctom

Well-Known Member
Jan 28, 2015
309
55
258
Wiltshire UK
www.davidcthomas.co.uk
Many thanks for all who replied! Good food for thought. Need to see the Simaudio in person before deciding. I still like Esoteric IF I can find one at my price. Will look at Bel Canto, other than hearing of their name I've got zero familiarity. If I didn't already own a top notch DAC (Dave) the Oppo (possibly modded) would have made sense, but my DAC is superior I'd say, and the Oppo transport isn't as robust as the other Tp's in consideration. Oppo makes great stuff & strong value.


Playback designs recommend the Oppo as a transport to use with their DAC

http://www.playbackdesigns.com/docs/productsheets/playback-designs-OpBox.pdf
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
The Oppo 103 is only $499. As a transport it works impeccably...after 3 years in my own system. It never hiccup once. I cannot hear the discs spinning.
The disc drawer's door opens and closes smoothly, gently, diligently...like a flower in love for the first time.

And! Bonus bonus bonus ... it also plays Blu-rays, in 2D and in 3D, it upscales to 4K, it plays SACDs, in multichannel, DVD-Audio, HDCD encoded discs (it has an HDCD decoder), it plays DSD files, Netflix, it has two HDMI inputs, two HDMI outputs, three USB ports, ...it even looks great and is build solid. Oh, it plays CDs too. • https://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-103/

Teac, Philips, Sony...they are among the preferred disc transports. ...In particular the Philips Pro transports, and the Teac VRDS Pro too. ...Marantz, TEAC, Pioneer Elite, Esoteric... I don't know, with the Chord Dave DAC; perhaps a TEAC CD transport for less than a thou? ...TEAC VRDS-T1?



Just for fun:

http://lampizator.eu/lampizator/REFERENCES/TEAC-T1/VRDS-T1.html
http://www.lampizator.eu/LAMPIZATOR/REFERENCES/Teac Esoteric P2/EsotericP2.html
http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/vrds9mods_e.html
http://www.stereophile.com/content/fifth-element-86#mJh9DOXqJwWBTZZV.97
 

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