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Re: The art of building Computer Transports

I see. The methodology you are proposing is not correct to determine superiority of computer transports over high-end traditional CD transports. I’ll explain later.

Methodology proposed: keeping rest of system same whilst CD transport is changed to computer and comparing results. I have summarized this in my initial remarks introducing this topic.

Here is the details. Extensive testing and comparisons over several months was done against the AA Prestige SE internal transports. Initial Philips transport (as used in dCS Verdi La Scala & Encore and EmmLabs transport) was upgraded to a Sony (which I believe is also being used by dCS, EmmLabs and Wadia replacing Philips and Teac VRDS).

My findings on this were posted on Audiogon. Here are the relevant comments:

"... Philips offered overall good sound with SACD being its strong point. The Sony has improved CD playback by a good margin with more detail and a blacker background making for even better musicality. On SACD, its pretty much the same. It also operates faster and offers text messages on SACD (Album, Title, etc.)...

Using a Computer Transport, feeding 24/96 via toslink (glass fibre) to player (DAC), I get even better results! Improvement over Philips drive was very obvious but less so with Sony. Computer over Sony drive yields more clarity on low level information and tighter bass. However, setting up such a computer transport was not easy (and cost me ~$2000 including $450 toslink cable).

Things got very interesting when I upgraded interconnects to Synergistic Research's new Tesla Apex (from SR Absolute Ref). Active shielding is done by Quattro unit powered by SR Abs Ref Power Cord. ...

As I suspected, improvements between transports widened significantly. Now, the computer transport yielded much more information over the Sony (and the improvements are very obvious). Things like dynamics (both macro & micro), fleshing out inner detail of instruments, bass and imaging are just splendid. I am amazed at how much music is stored on CDs! ..."

On the example of dCS, here’s a recently received email quote from a Purcell / Elgar owner who shares his experience on computer transports as follows: "The result is wonderful and better than any transport that I have heard.".


Whilst this establishes computers relative strength of over CD transports, as a methodology to suggest computers are superior to highend transports is not enough. Instead, I prefer the additional approach where high-end CD transports are auditioned in their optimal respective systems (with the requisite attention to detail you speak of). Hence initial remarks on this topic: “Having the pleasure to listen to high-end transports (Wadia 270SE, Esoteric P03, MBL's $20,000+ 1621A, full DCS stack), I am comfortable in saying that Computers have outclassed them.”

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