Just bought a Taboo 3/CSP2+ and now it seems as if my transport is failing.  It's a very high quality piece, a Sonic Frontiers SFT3 but its quite long in the tooth and its been glitchy lately.  It has already been to Canada to be repaired by the Parts Connection techs but I know its on borrowed time.

I use that with a W4S Dac-1 (black gate upgrade) and it sounds pretty good driving my LCD2s.  I'd like something that's at least as good, or better yet a step up without breaking the bank.  Having not auditioned transports in well over 10 years I'd think that improvements in technology over that time would allow me to get something at least as good, or better for ~$2k.  Then again, maybe that's not the case as the original price of the SFT3 was $7k (1998).

Can anyone make a recommendation?  The PS Audio transport looks pretty good but the reviews on it are pretty scarce.  They're about $1600 or so used if you can find one.  I've seen some vintage Levinson's for $1800-$2400 but I would be trading one 15 year old transport for another....

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.  :)

Ian
Florida, USA

The W4S DAC doesn't have I2S capability.  

Now I'm thinking maybe I want both the PS Audio DAC2 and the Memory Wave Transport.  It's 50% off for the combo at PS Audio for another few weeks (which leads me to believe they are introducing a new DAC/Tranpsort).  I think the wife will kill me if I spend another $4k on the combo plus that still leaves me with the W4S DAC and the transport I would have to sell.  I guess the W4S DAC will sell pretty quickly...

If I am right about a DAC/Transport 3 being introduced (I can't think of why else they'd be 50% off), the DAC2/Memory Wave pair will probably trade at ~3k by end of year...

After adapting to my tweaked Mac Mini as a file server, and my Tranquility DAC, I could not go back to a transport. I have become addicted to EQ, and using it from within a great sounding, and very adjustable audio player app, like Pure Music, or now Audirvana... this is an amazing thing. The ability to tame and fix cumbersome room issues with transparent EQ is priceless for me. And with noise shaping and quality dithering to taste...great stuff.

I do miss being able to easily reference CDs for player information at times, but then my main thing is the music, and a hard drive loaded with error free CDs is mighty convenient.

I can fully realize that, and not care or embrace it. I don't even have to face it if I don't want to, and it doesn't have to be a part of my future. If I were 13, okay. . ..

I'm not after the ultimate sound and I'm tired of always futzing and tweaking whether it's hardware or software. I just want to enjoy my music and I do so with my physical objects. I'm outside the mainstream and probably won't rejoin it, I can establish the parameters of my own musical entertainment world and I am NOT intrigued by computer audio. eq software, etc. I can understand why others are, maybe even more than others might understand why I do not. It's not for me, I don't need to go there, I'm not going there, it's a waste of time for me, time I don't have.

I tried it, I didn't like it, I'm not forcing myself to like it, I'm okay with not being on the "state of the art cutting edge." I'm happy with the Torii, I really love my transport and DAC combo (it's awesome!) and I don't need a "mystery amp" or a network..

I can imagine it's a lot of fun for some, but I'd rather spin my discs, and save my exploratory learning and excitement for something else (like making music, or writing, or building personal relationships, etc.)

Now back to the regularly scheduled transport thread.

I really don't think a whole lot about the future relative to my audio decisions. I mean, I still use all redbook and a NOS DAC, and the sound is awesome! But I just like my sound and file access (Redbook CD data) better with what I can do with my little Mini. I can comfortably say, that in this system/room, a traditional transport, no matter how good, in front of my DAC, could not sound as good as my system does now.

The cold reality is: though I have treated my room in numerous ways, and it started with many excellent traits, it still has issues. With the help of appropriate EQ and other sound shaping tools that the computer and software easily offer, I can really dial the sound in, both for greater accuracy, and for my preferences...my musical pleasure.

I really don't care if one prefers a normal transport...this is clearly a totally valid choice. The thing is, they are both options that can be good. The only reason I responded to this thread about transports, is that I prefer my "transport" ...the Mini transports the CD data to DAC beautifully while offering me a lot of versatility toward efficiently and aesthetically making my system/room much better than without. After all...room is a huge part of our sound!

I doubt I would convert either with your collection Lon. I just slowly add CDs, but I have many 100's on my drive compared to your many 1000's. I just see no reason to convert a lot of my collection, discs that I have not listened to in years. Every so often I will pull an old disk, but mostly adding new stuff at this point and it is easy to add say 10 at a time over a couple mornings. I even gave away three or four hundred discs a couple years ago, and more 5-6 years ago when I moved.

And of course there are other ways to get EQ. It is just efficient and easy in the computer, and I think quite clean...sort of like adding a mastering EQ at the source.

Anyone have any insights into the Esoteric DV50s?  I have an opportunity to buy one from a friend and the reviews I have read are very favorable.  If it's better than my SF Transport/Wyred4Sound Dac I could replace 2 pieces of equipment.

It's a universal player so at least I'd be able to play SACD, etc in addition to Red Book since I am not ready to convert to PC-based just yet.  :)

There has been a lot of development in computer audio over the last several years, but not a total shift as far as I can see. Still loads of non-computer music being played. I don't know the best place to learn about it if you take an interest, but computeraudiophile.com has a lot of info and opinion! There are threads here also, probably in the ZDAC area. Maybe search computer?

I don't know the story as well as many, but here are some starting points. I chose a Mac Mini because I like Macs, but as much because they were tried and true as quiet audio players. They are made to be cool and efficient and therefore use pretty good (quiet) parts, and the solid aluminum case is a good thing...good for keeping out exterior noise and vibration reduction, and also for cooling without fans.

A main thing to consider with a PC is noise. Those cables do not just move digital data to DAC, but also electronic noise...so a quiet computer is a big deal as far as I can tell. A computer devoted to audio only, with the system as simplified as possible, will give the most attention to the audio app while using the computer resources minimally. Enough memory counts..the better audio players pull files to memory while turning off non-essential (for audio) system activity, but those I have talked with who have tested find that more memory is generally better sounding, again, chilling out computer electronics use. I found (as many have) that external drives are a better place for the music than internal, not using the system dirve except for essential stuff. And since my DAC is USB, I use a Firewire drive, leaving the USB buss for the DAC activity. And finally, at least with my system, the cables matter...different USB cables sounding different.

There do appear to be good server/players out there now, but I know nothing about them. Probably the easiest way to get going, but it limits DAC choices. Not sure that matters if the server DAC is great though. I am just one for flexibility, and you have a good DAC.

I really enjoy how my Tranquility DAC pulls the beauty from uncompressed, error free redbook, so I have not looked at highres. You can download highres files though...I think there are several places to do this, but HDtracks is one. You can also rip CDs with error correction software that accesses online databases for comparison, but also the software can more slowly correct data problems if the files are not in the databases.

I hope this covers the basic stuff.

Geez, "Mr." Meyers. Feel free to call me Ian, lol.

I really like my transport especially now that I bought a Q cable for my Audeze LCD-2.  I plan on adding the DAC2 in the near future.  I would have by now but the Martin Logans in my video system crapped out and the wife figured as long as we needed to replace the speakers "why not buy a nice AV cabinet for the TV and oh, can you cleanup the wires (required new shorter run speaker cables and interconnects) so $2k later there goes the $$$ for the DAC.  ;D

Ian

I had a really nice audio rack from my dedicated music room days (Zoethecus) and the TV on a decent $300 glass stand with cables running to the components on the rack.

The wife decided she wanted a nice piece of furniture because though everything sounded great, "the room looked like hell."  I can't really dispute that so we bought a solid AV cabinet.  Nice piece of furniture but lousy for vibration control.  Good thing my Decware system is on a smaller Zoethecus rack in another room.  But yeah, ate up my upgrade budget not including what I am going to have to spend to replace the Martin Logans.  I am looking at a pair of Cabasses as replacements because they are really efficient so if I ever decide to add speakers to my Decware system all I have to do is buy speakers for the family room video system.

Got them in today. Wow. . . can't tell you how cool it is to have a Duo downstairs in the main system, and a Duo upstairs in the second system.

This deal only seems to be for black, though I would probably have gone silver if I could for this one, just to be different; the first is black. (No Mac Minis, I don't mix computer and audio, not a combo I like).

PS Audio sent out a notice about their new phono stage/vinyl ripper and mentioned there are only "a few" more of the deal sets available, and not directly from PS Audio, only from Music Direct. Deal is almost done.

EDIT TO AD: well silver seems available now, perhaps it was when I ordered. I would have ordered black anyway.

Awesome Stone! I think you'll love this front end. Don't be too critical with the sound til it gets about 300 plus hours on it, takes that long to "bloom."

I'm not surprised the PrimaLuna is going back. . .Decware is a class above.

Stone, the I2S is over HDMI, and no, there isn't one with it, but get the best HDMI cable you can afford in .5 or 1 meter length. I can hear the differences in the cables. . . I'm using a silver one from PS Audio, nothing else has beaten that one in my estimation. The Mapleshade is my second choice from the handful I've tried.

The DAC Mk II sounds really good as a preamp, I know you'll love it. But. . . I confess. . . I prefer it with the CSP2+ by a fair margin. I spent most of the first year of use without the CSP2+ but I needed an additional input and started first with the CSP2 I have had for years and. . .well I prefer the body and depth the preamp adds. I've tried going back to no CSP2+ in the chain. . .but I don't prefer it. You will be very satisfied with its preamp capabilities though.

I don't think the PS Audio silver HDMI is available new any longer. They were blowing them out at half price (still too expensive!) when I got mine. . . for a while there was still someone selling them on audiogon at that price but at the moment there just seems to be a 2 m length. (I have one of those too to use with my Blu-ray player, amazing image!)

Well I'm really excited to hear how much you enjoy this front end. I'm sure the Vodka is a great cable, and will help the Transport to "be all it can be."

Your welcome for any assistance I can bring. This Duo was the digital where I stopped wanting to upgrade, and it shows me what the Mk III and the ERR and HR-1s are really capable of!

I was able to hook my PS Audio PWT & PWDII up last night and counting today I have 11 to 13 hours on the units.

Currently, the sound is veiled with rolled off highs. I checked my units through the Initializing Screen to make sure I had the latest versions of Firmware installed. I do, 1.22 for the PWT and 2.4 for the PWDACII.
Furthermore, for CD, I am using NativeX with Auto Filter/44.1 via I2S, which is the best configuration for CD playback.

Well, obviously it needs more time. However, it is not living and breathing like holding a live fish just caught in your hands as it does with my Audio Alchemy Front End producing the lush Timbre's through my SE84CS, that I am accustomed to. The PWT/PWDII are just sanitizing the music/veiled and once again, rolled off highs/treble extension.

For 2K, including Digital Cables (RCA & I2S) for my AA gear back in 2005....lets me appreciate how good it is.

Another thing I learned is you can't go back and get previous Firmware Versions you might like over the current one installed. I learned on the PS Forum, some people prefer the 2.02 for the PWDII or 2.10 for Treble extension....and are afraid to lose it through upgrade to the 2.4 I have. I probably would prefer the 2.10.  Not cool.

Anyway, .....early observations....I have 30 days to return. However, the dynamics are there and the soundstage is layered....but, it is just sanitized playing nice and squashing that Treble Extension Dynamic. Better sound than a good CD Player.....but not better than Audio Alchemy's best Front End that I have. But, if you have never heard the AA?.....you might think this PWT/PWDII are great the way they are right now. More time will be given.  

 -Stone

Stone_of_tone,
Give the PWT/PWDII at least 100-200 hours. Are you using the power cables that came with the units or some you already had?

Thanks Lon...busterfree, I will give it more time and I am going to order the HDMI you suggested Lon.

I am busy until Monday night....but I am then moving the PWT/PWDII out in the living room to run on repeat with my Solid State Rig = extensive burn in/with the current Vodka AQ HDMI. No way, I am calling for an RA# without taking the time to get the most out of this front end.  Thanks guys, I will check back in at the end of next week and I'll see where I'm at...... .  -Stone

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Yes, I wonder if your ears are just so fine tuned to the AA sound from listening to it all these years combined with the units not having enough hours.

Anyways, keep us posted Stone!