Which transport for my Nagra HD DAC

ulf

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Aug 9, 2010
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I have a combo MSB Platinum CD IV+DAC IV+Power base. Exellent sound with my Vitus pre and Datzeel 108 amp to my Focal Grande Utopia Em.
I recently bought a used Nagra HD DAC with VPS pwer supply (no batteries). I play the MSB transport to the Nagra and it is a very good SQ improvment over the MSB DAC. Everything is a bit better. To my surprise even Spotify Premium now sound fantastic.
The MSB transport is very good but i have a feeling that there is better options. Need input from Nagra HD owners. Would a used CEC TLO3 or used Metronome Kallista make a big improvment (both about 14000USD used)? Other suggestions?
Nagra own transport is now not on their homesite any more and it is about 12 yeras old. I dont know if Nagra will have an new transport?
Any CDP that have very good transport (for exampel used Vitus CD025mk2 at 12000usd)?
 

Sablon Audio

Industry Expert, VIP Donor
May 22, 2015
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Hi Ulf, I have heard great things about the Nagra dac from Ed (Eurodriver) and would suggest the Nagra CDT would be a sensible match. There is a used one listed on ebay.co.uk right now for £6k.
 

ashandger

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Jun 14, 2013
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Not sure if this will be of interest, but Roy Gregory has posted some very positive comments on The Audio Beat on Stenhiem speakers and the system used Nagra HD DAC and CDT transport.
 

microstrip

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May 30, 2010
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Some time ago I owned a Nagra CDP - an used bargain I could not resist. I enjoyed it a lot as a CD player. However when compared with other CD transports such as the ARC REF8 and the Metronome Calypso ( both used the same Philps Pro mechanism) or a CEC TL1X , I found it lacking life and fine detail. DAC's were mainly the Metronome C2A and an old Sonic Frontier CD2.
 

EuroDriver

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Sep 16, 2015
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Hi Ulf,

We would be happy to arrange a demo of the Sound Galleries Music server converting all formats to DSD 128 for the Nagra HD to perform its musical D>A.

Does your unit have the optional balanced output transformers ? With these transformers, the HD really sings

Best

Ed
 

ulf

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Aug 9, 2010
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Read that your sound galleries server is something special and would Love to hear it. The only concern would be the high
Price.
I dont have the output transformer. Reading the net i got mixed answers how good this tweak is.
I once have both Nagra cdp and gryphon Mikado signature cdp in My system. As a cdp Nagra was best and the best one box cdp i have ever listened to. When I inserted a Berkeley dac (not ref) in my system Gryphon cdp was better as transport then the Nagra
cdp. I don't know if the transport in Nagra cdp is the same as in the Nagra cdt
 

EuroDriver

Well-Known Member
Sep 16, 2015
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Read that your sound galleries server is something special and would Love to hear it. The only concern would be the high
Price.
I dont have the output transformer. Reading the net i got mixed answers how good this tweak is.
I once have both Nagra cdp and gryphon Mikado signature cdp in My system. As a cdp Nagra was best and the best one box cdp i have ever listened to. When I inserted a Berkeley dac (not ref) in my system Gryphon cdp was better as transport then the Nagra
cdp. I don't know if the transport in Nagra cdp is the same as in the Nagra cdt

We have a SGM owner in Holland who upgraded his Nagra HD with the output transformers and was very pleased with the sound quality improvement. This same owner has been bowled over with the SQ uplift that came with HQ Player 3.16 and the latest operating environment of the SGM.

PM'ing you with some more details
 

ulf

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Aug 9, 2010
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I finally settled for the C.E.C. TLO 3.0 belt drive transport.
It makes fantastic sound with my Nagra HD dac. My old collection of CDs sound better then ever.
I have put my computer music on hold.
 

jfrech

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Sep 3, 2012
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I finally settled for the C.E.C. TLO 3.0 belt drive transport.
It makes fantastic sound with my Nagra HD dac. My old collection of CDs sound better then ever.
I have put my computer music on hold.

Congratulations. Are you finding better sound spinning redbook cd's vs downloads ? If so...I am too...I've tried all sorts of computer configs...I can get better resolution, but not really better musicality...
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
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J, I find that fascinating, and yr Vivaldi stack is right up there
Typing in as I listen to a COMPACT DISC of Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scott's and finding I'm fully involved
 

jfrech

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Sep 3, 2012
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J, I find that fascinating, and yr Vivaldi stack is right up there
Typing in as I listen to a COMPACT DISC of Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scott's and finding I'm fully involved

It may be something in the delivery of the bits via the ethernet interface. We know USB has issues vs ethernet in a dCS stack (not trying to get into a ethernet vs usb war...just in my set up the ethernet is clearly better). Could also be something in the mastering of high res files vs quality redbook. I have a few ECM 24/96 or 24/192 that I also have in red book cd. I prefer the CD. You can sense the better resolution via the file, but misses on the weight on the notes and how things are stitched together and just overall enjoyment. Also have a few 2xHD titles in 2xDSD from tape and then the Resonance redbook cd version...same outcome. And the redbook cd's are usually pretty cheap via Amazon...
 

ulf

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2010
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Spinning the incedible CD Lorena McKennitt Nights from Alhambra from my new rig was at overwhelming experience
One of the best live performance ever
 

pjwd

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2015
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Brisbane
I finally settled for the C.E.C. TLO 3.0 belt drive transport.
It makes fantastic sound with my Nagra HD dac. My old collection of CDs sound better then ever.
I have put my computer music on hold.
Ulf - I have the cec tlox and with dual PC, audiophile optimiser , sotm usb card , intona , linear psu to each PC and wfs thingo , I am getting more out of PC by a small margin on redbook but more on hi res
Not the most stable system but I love the convenience
I do think the cec transports are excellent - it is the third I have owned on a continuous upgrade but I would recommend you defeat the cone supports and use something like still points - I made a timber block with a conical hole to seat them in on my DIY still points and got a good improvement - I am not an enthusiast for spikes and will be playing with nagra HD dac base when I had time
Cheers
Phil
 

pjwd

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2015
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Brisbane
I finally settled for the C.E.C. TLO 3.0 belt drive transport.
It makes fantastic sound with my Nagra HD dac. My old collection of CDs sound better then ever.
I have put my computer music on hold.

Ulf - meant to start out the previous post with a congratulations on the cec - it is a great choice and I do wonder how much better is it than the tlox

Phil
 

ulf

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2010
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Thanks pjwd
Can you tell me more what still points you use
 

pjwd

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2015
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Thanks pjwd
Can you tell me more what still points you use


Ulf - it is a DIY that has similar principals - I drilled out a timber block in stepped holes to take the conical shape of the footer and then added another block under - both blocks have a circular recess that takes 3 silicone nitride ball bearings and a tungsten bearing separates them so it is vaguely similar to a still point in that it is a cluster of bearings- I have attached a picture to explain it ( the wire bits sticking out where "absorbers" I was playing with similar to what finite elements used in their racks years ago - not sure how much they help if at all - this was all done about 10 years ago when I was more energetic)

IMAG1606.jpg

I would just try some alternate footers under the case of the CEC and see how it goes

prompted by your post I listened to loreena mckennitt for the first time in years - very nice - presume you are a fan of June Tabour - Ashore is a great album

cheers,

Phil
 

ulf

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2010
133
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923
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Stockholm, Sweden
Looks impresive
Found Ashore on Spotify- nice album
What Cable do you use between CEC and dac?

Ulf
 

ulf

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2010
133
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Stockholm, Sweden
The icing on the cake was inserting Oracle MA-X digital AES/EBU cable between CEC and Nagra
It is My first Oracle cable and it took a while to determine where to put the knob to give the best result.
But it was worthwhile.The sound open up and dynamics was fantastic.
But just for fun I took a length of my xlr interconnect that I use between My Hanss acoustic TT and Audio Research phono amp to substitute the Oracle. The sound was equally fantastic. Even a bit more air around voices but perhaps little more defined bass with the Oracle.
The interconnect is from a new Swedish company called Tarfala Audio. A length of their cable is about 1200usd against the Oracle 4000.
 
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pjwd

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2015
508
342
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Brisbane
The icing on the cake was inserting Oracle MA-X digital AES/EBU cable between CEC and Nagra
It is My first Oracle cable and it took a while to determine where to put the knob to give the best result.
But it was worthwhile.The sound open up and dynamics was fantastic.
But just for fun I took a length of my xlr interconnect that I use between My Hanss acoustic TT and Audio Research phono amp to substitute the Oracle. The sound was equally fantastic. Even a bit more air around voices but perhaps little more defined bass with the Oracle.
The interconnect is from a new Swedish company called Tarfala Audio. A length of their cable is about 1200usd against the Oracle 4000.

Great news - a discovery like that is always satisfying - I had a look at the website but not much info currently

cheers,

Phil
 

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