CD transports

[Guest dragonboy]

I'll be surprised if you can't tell the diff from a normal motor-driven cd player and a belt-drive transport or player.

Edited February 27, 2009 by dragonboy

[peanutbutterjam 0]

I'll be surprised if you can't tell the diff from a normal motor-driven cd player and a belt-drive transport or player.

Does it seriously differ that much?

[wwenze 0]

Does it seriously differ that much?

 

Logically, it should...

 

...affect as much as having the motor and the RF amplifier, DAC, filters and other digital sh*tz on seperate power supplies. That's what a whole load of decoupling capacitors can not do.

 

It's even better, because it even isolates the airborne EMI and vibrations, which after reading all the text in links above you would understand the importance. Apart from the power supply noise that is (imagine... sine wave at 1kHz. And 1kHz seems like an important frequency... rite?).

 

Of course, that would mean that you have to be able to hear great difference from such noise sources (or the absence of). Or it may be placebo but an ABX test will confirm that. Or because belt-drive players are inherently more expensive and better quality so they use better parts for the rest hence affecting the sound quality.

 

A better comparison would be between a CDP with stock motor-driven drive vs the same CDP with its drive changed to a belt-driven one, all other factors remain the same.

[Rameish 0]

I did the following over the last week or so:

I compared two Burmester CDP the 061 and the 001 - the 001 uses one dac chip per channel while the 061 uses one for both channels. The 001 uses a in house modified belt driven Philips Pro unit, while the 061 uses a modified direct drive CDM Pro 2 unit (I think I got the tech details right - although you'll find different reviewers from different audio magazines say that the 001 uses the CDM 2 Pro unit as well. Anyway I too thought that the DAC was making the difference (the 001's 2 DAC chips were making the 001 CDP sound better). Hooked up the Burmester 979 transport (uses a CDM 9 Pro unit) transport and compared all three with a Burmester DAC - same Stereovox Cable. Conclusion? Sad to say the transport and, more importantly, it's implementation matters. The differences were nuances throughout the audio spectrum - top end a little more relaxed, bottom end a little fuller/richer more legato. Mids were sweeter. Worth the extra cash? That's up to you. The Pre-amp was the Burmester 011 and the power amp was the 036 and the 911 mk III. All interconnects were stereovox. Speakers were the Burmester B50 (white edition).

 

Very very nice indeed - all three CDP/CDT. I may just go down and compare the CEC transport LOL if I have time.

 

Transport does matter unfortunately - why I have no clue whatsoever. In short if it sounds better (not just different) it is better. Cheers and have a nice day.