Thank you for confirming that the i2s connection is, when possible the way to go. IMO, the lack of i2s, AES and USB-C connections on the Teac makes it unsuitable for a CD transport in this price range. More and more DACs of comparable quality are including i2s connections. The lack of an industry standard on i2s pinout configurations is both frustrating and counter-productive to progress.
My Teac 701T arrived with me here in the UK a couple of days ago. I'm really enjoying using it actually. It is a chunky thing! I'm still in the process of getting used to its sound signature however it seems to produce this big very detailed soundstage.
I couldn't afford the VRDS 701T so I bought a PDT-505T. It replaced a Cambridge CXC at about twice it's price. There's a little deeper and cleaner bass. The highs are better defined, cymbals have more sizzle. Snare drums have more snap. It comes withe the same remote as the 701T. The CD drawer is the quietest I've ever heard.
Steve, thank you, this was a much awaited episode. Teac transports and dacs are really at the cutting edge for their price point (and often well beyond). The Teac UD-701N dac has fantastic feedback from audiophile sites, people are swapping out their Denafrips Terminator Plus for them, but no reviewer has yet managed to present them, would be great if you could!
Just bought a Rotel DT-6000 CD Player. Most of my collection is CD but the machine also functions as a standalone DAC for coax, optical and USB inputs. It sounds outstanding and is about $1K cheaper than the equivalent TEAC player that you mentioned in passing. There are still plenty of good options for CD playback. I love this machine because it’s both old school and future proof. Spin all my old discs and play DSD256 via USB if needed.
@@joc1016 Good. You stick with that crap, assume spending more does no good and you can stay at that level forever, never knowing what you are missing. The rest of us will enjoy knowing better. I'm so sick of you know-it-all types who pass unwanted commentary like true authorities when you've usually heard a fraction of what you pretend to draw knowledge upon. I own a 6000CDT and a 9000CDT transport. I own a cheap SMSL and a much more expensive Ayon DAC and could tell the difference between the cheap and expensive transports and DACs blindfolded. This is because I actually own them so know what I'm talking about. I bet you can't say the same but still spout your arrogant, know-nothing bollocks.
@@leeandrewclarkemy dream set up DCS Bartok and Meze Emp’s Elites headphones or a Bravura Electrostatic set up. As for a streamer DAC the Esoteric is fabulous.
Nice review Steve...I've been looking for more insight on the TEAC VRDS-701T. I use the TEAC UD-701N DAC/Streamer with the TEAC CG-10M Master Clock Generator...fantastic combo. I only stream right now (rips and Qobuz), but I'm toying with the idea of getting the TEAC 701T, and you make it sound like it could be worthwhile, especially with my TEAC Clock. Vinyl is my primary source, but I'm always up for improving my bits.
The only way this thing would have any benefit is if your DAC has an exceptional clock and a clock output to connect it to this thing, so that the transport outputs data that is clocked by the DAC. As someone below points out, an I2S connection to the DAC accomplishing something potentially similar. Otherwise, you're better off with a transport that buffers the entire CD into memory, then provides it asynchronously to the DAC, probably via a USB connection. It's a total waste of money to spin the disk very precisely when you should be instead be reading all the data off of the disc into a buffer, then letting the lock in the DAC itself meter that data into the DA converter part of it. The transport should concentrate on error free read of the CD, such as pre-reading the disc at very high speed and re-reading any parts of it as required that require error correction.
. How is the DACs request for data packets from the transport buffer relayed? It's kind of like E-Arc 2-way HDMI isn't it? Data comes in, requests go out. USB only has 4 copper strands. Are they doubling up a signal that needs to be picked apart?
You partly answered my biggest question - why don't these disk readers just send the file to the DAC for it to then do its job? I am shocked that some transports send the data in "real-time" to a DAC. I don't see a reason for it. In my mind, it is worth some investment into a transport that is easy to use, quiet, reliable and can read many formats. But otherwise, it is a data file reader that doesn't need a solid top cover and isolation to do its job. So what is the advantage of "streaming" the digital file to a DAC? Is that how the first generation of CD players worked? Was there a technical reason for it, or just a legacy of analog sound reproduction? I mean, I guess we need to stream digital for the control. If I understand what is happening. (sorry for the long post) For example, if I "play" a song with Spotify, the stream is digital, and being decoded locally by my PC. That way I have full control of volume, pause and skip forward with the program. One final question: if I play a Spotify song with the PC, then send it via HDMI to my amp, is the raw digital file being sent to the amp, or does it get converted to an HDMI format first - going through two DACs, one on the PC and one in the amp?
@@gaba023 . Which one of us partly answered your biggest question because I'm not so sure we're in agreement about clocks. I think Bob might be having some difficulty citing a DAC with that clock OUTput was talking about as necessary for the performance. And what was the answer? Also, about the "It's only 1's & 0's" thing. Remember, those bits are traveling through highly conductive copper strands over a distance. There's a mains transformer, regulator & capacitors energizing the voltage gain amplifier pushing that signal. Plus all the emi, rfi & ultrasonic vibration from ringing sheet metal chassis covers too. It ALL gets pushed through to the next component. Unless it's properly addressed, of course. I didn't understand the rest of what you were saying after where a second paragraph should have begun. Streaming CD's, double Spotify DACs with 2 HDMI's on a PC? Huh? Oh well, que sera.
I have a Musical Fidelity Transport connected via AES to a Grimm MU1 + Mola Mola Tambaqui. But....only to judge whether to rip or not. Rips will be on the disk inside the Grimm MU1. And then they sound the best. Better than played on the transport/streamer/dac chain. Why? No idea, but it is better as a rip than as a CD.
With the better weather, I spent a few hours putting my system outside in our sunken paved area! Lost a bit detail but gained more of a live feeling from the blues alley recordings on cd!
I also have an Oppo BDP105, considering buying a standalone dac. What external dac do you use and what differences do you perceive when compared to the dac in the Oppo?
I've three CD transports, a Teac PD-301, a Cyrus CD-T, and an Olasonic Nano-CD1. The 1st two feed Meridian Director DACs, and the CD1 feeds an Olasonic Nano-UA1 w/ SPDIF coax & Toslink optical. The Teac PD-301 into the Director DAC outstrips that of the Teac's analog output. I'd say that cd transports into external DACs do a much better job than a CD player on its own.
I like the various directions of your channel. You'll have to spin a U turn turntable next week :) Bad jokes aside. I have picked up some radio station live recordings recently. 99x live x sessions in Atlanta and others, 99x plays these old recordings on Sunday mornings which you can stream. So, Good to see CD transports still beng produced. I still buy CDs. My streaming service is currently free and used for some music discovery. CDs are ripped in FLAC for replay.
Here's my problem with CD transports... How are they better than a hard drive? I can't wrap my head around all the isolation and smoothness because those are analog concepts that make a lot of sense with record players but I really can't justify spending thousands of dollars to make sure my laser is reading the ones and zeros in an environment that's meant for a stylus reading a groove. I'm not being snarky here. I just really don't get it. How is a CD transport costing $2K better than a BluRay I can get for a few hundred bucks that also offers a clean digital signal I can send to an external DAC?
I concur with you. I have a Marantz K1 Signature SACD player and a cheap 20-year-old Panasonic DVD player. They sound identical if I use both of these as a transport to play ordinary CDs to my Cambridge DAC. I fail to see how this TEAC would sound any different, even at that price point. Is it me, or am I just getting old perhaps?
@@grahame1981Sorry, but not a factor in digital stream retrieval. There is NO benefit to a CD transport over a non-volatile memory system, like a hard drive or NVME drive.
Your doubts apply to much of the "audiophile" guff produced by these professional reviewers (especially old farts who cant hear beyond 12,000Hz and use 60's rock recordings as benchmarks). All their claims can easily be debunked by simple blind A/B testing (which is why they don't do it) such as the legendary clothes hangers vs. supercalifragilisticexpialidocious "audiophile" speaker cables test. For a fun read google: "reddit When was the last time you did a blinded A/B test".
What about throwing in a more common consumer level cd player and using its digital out to the Mola Mola? I imagine the dac will prove it’s really what makes all of them shine.
Hi Steve, I own the „little Brother“ of the TEAC 701T, the PD-505T, and run it together with the TEAC DAC/Headphone Amp/Preamp UD-505-X. It’s a great sounding combination, really worth it's price, and definitely worth a closer look and a review. By the way - the remote control seems to be identical, and the number keys allow you to program a playlist, if you don’t want to listen to all of the tracks of a record. A function I wouldn’t want to miss.
Picked up an Oracle CD2500 MKIV. Expensive as hell but it's got the same polished/lacquered machined block of aluminum floating frame/suspension system as the Delphi MKVII turntable (got one of those too), separate polished/lacquered control system/DAC (DAC can be bypassed if using an external unit), CD vibration damping/clamp system and a huge/heavy separate power supply. SDIF outputs plus balanced analog out puts. Not only beautiful sounding but also, as usual with Oracle Audio, visually absolutely stunning. There's nothing in the world like this piece of art work. (be prepared to shell out $20K Canadian)
Having participated in a blind test of a fancy transport versus a stock CD player feeding the same DAC at a Stereophile sponsored New York City show in the 1990's (when my hearing was better) I am skeptical about a transport making *that* much difference. However, I might buy it for the track selection knob alone. What a great usability feature! My Sony N9100Es universal had one (which doubled as a job wheel for video disks). One thing the Sony had that this Teac apparently does not is a track index display. That feature of Red Book CD seems to have gone by the wayside. A small number of classical CD's with long tracks e.g. Mahler symphonies, had them. My main player now is the Oppo UDP205, which is the "audiophile" version of the 203 you compared in this test. I love its versatility as a silver disk player, network streamer and Roon endpoint, but hate its ergonomics for playing CD's. It's the only CD player I've ever used where you can't just enter a track number on the remote keypad and have it immediately start playing that track. I am seriously thinking of either putting this Teac into my system, or putting back the Sony, plus a good DAC. But I would hate the added complexity. Although judging from many viewer systems of the day, many of you do not seem to object to having two or more pieces with overlapping functions.
Great review Steve! Glad to see companies are still coming out with new CD transport designs! My Bryston BCD-3 is still kicking butt and taking names! (Used as a transport).
Your assessment aligns with mine… Yes, there are differences between transports, but you basically reach a functional quality limit unless you have an I2S connection, in which case, that will always win.
no there isnt, not with any cheap descent dac. most so-called audiophile transports are no better than a dvdplayer. pro-ject also sold old junk transports ment for boomboxes at a silly price. because customers believe and hear whatever they want to.
I used 3 different CD readers to rip my fairly large CD collection to flac and Apple lossless files. I play the files from a Mac Mini to a Denafrips DAC with external reclocker so I never have to touch the CDs anymore. The result is magic to my ears. Couch potato heaven!
I've tried various DACs and streamers but am yet to find a setup that sounds as good as a CD player. Choose sound quality, not couch potato convenience!
@@sonnyvarioni1654 A digital signal is a digital signal. A cd player won't make any magic to the sound. In fact, the file read from a harddrive is higher quality than the stream of a cd. The cd player has to do error correcting and dithering to fix the errors coming from reading a cd. The end result is still 100% bit perfect, mind you, unless the faults in the CD are so large that the error correcting mathematics fail and then you have a degratded bit depth in the signal. This is 99,9% caused by a damaged or dirty cd record though.
Why what? 1- That I used 3 CD readers? Because many CDs, even brand new ones have defects and can't be read bit perfectly but sometimes a different reader can handle it. A cd player, on the other hand, creates data to fill those missing bits so you don't notice the loss. 2- That I ripped to both flac and Apple lossless? Because at one time I thought I wanted to go full Apple fanboy but not anymore. 3- That I used a Mac to store and play the files? Because Windows or Mac is just a chocolate or vanilla choice to me. 4- That I don't play the actual CDs anymore? Because I have over 1,500 of them and no room to keep them in an accessible place so they're stored in boxes. 5- That I use an external DAC and reclocker? Because it sounds far better than any device with a built-in DAC that I have ever owned before. As Steve noted even my Oppo 203 is not that great for CD playback. 6- That I'm a lazy couch potato? Because I'm very old and feel that I've earned the right to vegetate sometimes. 7- And yes, I have nothing better to do than listen to music, watch CZcamss, and overly answer a simple two word question. 🤪
@@Munakas-wq3gp Nope. Streamers are computers, and computers add noise to the signal path. People who stream try to get around that by doing things like adding USB filters, network switches, thousand dollar ethernet cables, and other snake oil, but can never get to the purity of a CD. Streaming is a solution in search of a problem, it's made a lot of people rich, it's endlessly convenient, but it has has contributed zero to improving SQ.
Fantastic video Steve, and I have to say you know I notice this huge influx of every time somebody makes a video about something anymore that's hi-fi related, there seems to be a lot more voices that pop up lately to disparage and downplay the validity of what the video is about. Teac makes good products and I haven't personally owned any of their latest stuff but I've heard it in friends and acquaintances systems And I thought overall that it was just wonderful gear. Thanks for the video Steve and f the haters.
@@angelorasmijn7306 yeah instead of just being happy about the intent of the video, which is the idea that the CD format is fantastic and they still make quality devices and stuff works fantastic and all this stuff, all they got to do is talk about how it's cheap and it ain't worth the money and CDs suck and you know all this crap. And frankly it's got no a point where I'm sort of tired of hearing it, I mean I guess I could not watch CZcams videos but then what would I have to complain about 😂
Interesting review. I'm impressed you were able to hear so many differences between the different transports. Do you ever try to "blind" test these sort of products?
To play CDs I have 2 options hooked up. First is the a cheap Phillips blu ray player that outputs digital to Yamaha receiver. Only downfall is the TV has to be on to make it work. Second option is to play my old Luxman cd player from early 90s (I believe) which is made by Teac I believe. Bought it because of the extended warranty of something like 5 years. It's still going. I was only getting a few years out of my Yamaha CD players at the time. It sounds fine to me.
I love my .7i speakers. Looking forward to your .7x review. I’m still a skeptic when it comes to CD transports. I use a decent Sony BluRay player for CDs, but I bypass the internal DAC.
Got to disagree Steve, One of my gripes about some transports is the lack of numbered track buttons. I couldn't imagine an expensive transport like this one that made you hit the fast forward arrow six times to get to track 6..or 7. It just seems like one is throwing away one of the great benefits of CD play, direct immediate access to individual tracks. Maybe it's some people's habit to listen to a CD like and album and just plow through all the throw away cuts but its not my habit. I own another excellent transport the Audiolab 9000 and it allows me to select tracks as I wish. I always also find myself disappointed with the lack of USB or I2S outputs. Doesnt seem like a big cost add-on. The audiolab 9000 is also limited to SPDIF. Keep up the good work. Love it.
The Shanling ET3 transport has both usb and I2S over HDMI for about $700. It also upsamples to Dsd if you fancy that. It also has a decent top loading mechanism. As for if transports make a difference, I think they do but others mileage may vary. But then I have the same Jay's as Steve, and an Oppo and a high end Denon universal player so have had plenty of chances to compare. What I would say is that redbook only cd mechanisms beat dvd/bluray/cd mechanisms at playing cds.
@@nick_yt23 I can tell you that I had a lesser Oppo transport than Steves and the basic $500 Audiolab transport was better The 9000 is better than the basic model as well.
Agree that the Sony knob track select is a great feature to have on a cd player/ transport. Im really suprised more manufacturers did not include this on their units when cds were a go to. I use my cd players a lot and have outlived the laser and drawers in all of them so far. Im curious what the mortality rate is between turntables and cd transports, and also between cd transports and integrated units.
I couldn't begin to explain why, but when I changed my vintage Marantz 52 for a not-so-vintage Marantz 6000 OSE, both played through my Mojo DAC I was blown away how much better the newer CDP was. There's more to it than 0s and 1s, evidently.
I’ve been using the old (but quite heavy) Sony dvp 9000es as a transport with my Benchmark DAC. Similar to Steve’s experience, I tried a relatively inexpensive transport but felt the Sony, at least for my tastes, was much better. My guess is that when I have no choice but to replace the Sony, I’ll have to go with something like the Jay’s or the Teac.
Back in the 90's, I purchased a Sony CD player/changer, and it had fairly piss poor audio quality considering its cost, and may have benefit from an external DAC, but the crappy unit died just out of its short warranty, so I never purchased a Sony product again, as I had another portable Sony product before that which didn't last either.
Neither of those will beat the Teac though, the Teac has superior tech all round. The Teac beats everything below it in price and most transports above it as well. Unless you have an i2s dac.
Well done that man! 😃 Great to see CD back on your show, it is still the best format, sounds better than streaming or vinyl and Cd's are very affordable, not the crazy prices for audiophile vinyl. Great transport, however, there is one niggle, no balanced AES output. On the whole a pretty decent transport, well made, sounds good and hooked up to a decent dac, you have a top quality front end. 👍
My results were quite different ! I have had many Disc players and the Cambridge CXC unit before switching to streaming local CD and High resolution vinyl rips & SACD files. Under a direct comparison via Spdif coax to a Bryston DAC, I had the total opposite results between a Oppo UDP-205 or BDP-105 (I have both) and the CXC. The CXC was terrible (very thin sounding) with this or any other DAC I tried over the years. While the Oppo was not the best it was always better with much more weight in the bottom end. The Oppo did improve when I switched from CD's and DVD's (burnt with the Hires files) to playing the files from an SSD over USB. The Oppo is now just used for the TV/video and not in the audio system. I now use the Eversolo DMP-A6 as my streamer which is better Vs the Oppo both playing files from a SSD (internal SSD for the A6). As for the time with the Cambridge CXC, I measured the coax output and did not see the cleanest waveforms on the coax output. Opened up the unit and we have a cheap CD transport (I think they use on their cheaper CD players) feeding its spdif output to some additional buffers (not re-clocking) and out to the Optical, coax and AES/EBU outputs. Only slightly better Vs what you may see in a cheap CD player. I made some mods to the circuit to clean up the waveforms but it never changed the sound ! It went into the E-waste bin a couple years ago... I too will never go back to spinning those silver discs and often go back into my home studio and re-master the CD files. PS: My comments on streaming are only for playing high quality wav & dsd files directly from a local drive and not with some of the better online streaming services etc.
There were two CD players in 1983...one from Philips aka Magnavox and one from Sony. Based on Steve's enthusiasm, they've come "a long way baby." I've had a few players since then but none of them were remarkably different, in sound, from my original Philips. Until now... It sounds like CD has evolved. I long for the "stereo salons" of the '60's (before mass marketers) and wish there were one around here where I could actually listen to this item.
Okay, I need clarification on CD transport and DACS. A CD transport plus a DAC will make my CDs come to life more than with a CD player by itself. Correct? Will the CD player plus a DAC do the same thing?
I import so many CDs from Japan. I need a CD player or transport at some point. Still not sure if I want to go with an SACD player though. It's great to hear that it's worth it to spend the extra money on a higher-end player.
My gripe about this TEAC is that those audiophiles old enough will remember those lust-worthy VRDS CD players TEAC made back in the 90s and will want the 701 as basically a nod to those legendary machines. To use a plastic drawer, when the 1990s VRDS machines usually used steel, is a real step down, especially when the company has invested so well into making an otherwise superbly-built transport. Then there's the lack of I2S and the crappy remote. It spoils an other wise great experience. I had the same issue with my Audiolab 9000CDT. Sound quality is as good as it gets at the price but tinny top plate, no I2S and, yes, plastic tray. Even at £1000, I'd happily paid £200 more for better build, tray and I2S option. But, in a +£2000 machine like the TEAC 701, to save a few quid by cutting corners in supplying a plastic tray, generic remote and eschewing I2S is a slap in the face for the discerning audiophile who values a stellar experience. I might well have put the TEAC 701 on my list but I'm now thinking more of getting a CEC or the Jays Audio. These are machines which aim for the stars rather than be designed by accountants.
I own the 9000CDT as well (plugged into a Teac NT-503 dac with great synergy) and am very happy with it. As the Teac uses floating mechanisms on its transport and transformers, I am now thinking perhaps the smartest solution to step up from 90000CDT is to go for the Teac VRDS-701 which has an excellent Teac dac in it and presumably internal i2S connection between transport and Dac. Perhaps connected to a LHY OCK-2 OCXO clock, to match (or better) the Jay's OCXO click. Even the pro-British brand oriented What HiFi gave the 701 CD player a rave 5 star review. Noting that the 90000CDT uses a decent Teac transport as well, but not a VRDS version.
I still have my Teac VRDS25, and indeed the interior and mechanism of this new CD player is very light, compared to its ancestor, which weighs 37 pounds, made of solid aluminum and steel ! 😉
Still have my old Audiolab 8000 CDM from 1998. Used with a more recent DAC it stoll delivers a pretty good sound. Now motivation to upgrade would have to include IR2S as well as AES. So while the TEAC is certainly a highly regarded ma hine and brand, I'll mist likely pass on this one.
I just purchased an Audiolab 9000CDT that was on sale and traded in my Audiolab 6000CDT to save a few bucks. I considered the Jay's but just couldn't justify spending that amount of money, even though 90% of my listening is CD's. Interestingly, the 9000CDT is significantly better than the 6000CDT so I can imagine what spending over $2k would buy. I have no regrets buying the 9000CDT.
I do not have a dac apart from my RME audio interface, so am thinking of buying the full Teac cd player. Do you have any opinions about the quality of the dac in that unit? I’m not one of those people who will be upgrading every year, just looking for the best cd player I can afford. & The Teac is indeed a beautiful looking bit of kit. New to this level of stereo equipment so expect I’ll be impressed just curious about a pro’s opinion!
If coax or I2S is used, the clocking of the signal is by default the one from the transport, not the dac (unlike USB). Some transports also do oversampling, which is another source of differentiation.
Yep. Clocking and jitter make a difference. Also accurate reading of the disc rather than relying on error correction. Why in my view redbook cd drives do a better job than multidisc/pc drives at playing redbook cds. I do agree that you can get excellent results from a budget Bluray player and a good DAC and in the world of transports the law of diminishing returns is particularly vicious.
With build quality, does this mean the laser will last longer? Lasers always die on me, even before the tray starts short circuiting. I think modern cd players/ transports should come with a spare of each for easy replacement and another 5 years of use!
Technically one could hook up any generic CDT to a decent DAC like say the Chord Mojo and match the sonic output from this TEAC-MolaMola. So then, what am I paying $2.7k for?? 😮
Steve didn’t mention the relative cost of the 2 other transports. I thought the Cambridge deserves a Pat on the back, since it’s considerably cheaper than the Teac.
They are wonderful machines,BUT...what about the laser?I do beleive that is the main issue for vintage CDs...parts become rare and expensive.I got a VRDS 25 like new,but find a laser is an headache..what do you think about?
Binary data from the disk has to be transmitted (over spdif) with the clock signal modulated into the data stream. I2s solves this by transmitting the clock and data channels separately, and USB transmits data into a buffer. With SPDIF coax, the DAC relies on the source’s clock signal and the quality of the modulation. Also, there’s a potential for ground plane noise coupling between components. With i2s, the DAC still relies on the source clock. With USB, clocking is done at the receiving end. Any variability is the byproduct of the USB transmitter/receiver and any coupled noise between the devices. USB audio doesn’t provide a method for requesting dropped packets like it does in computer data transfer though. Toslink isn’t a robust solution, as it’s SPDIF, but has the advantage of galvanic isolation. ST Glass solves the issues of noise and improves the optical interface. It’s still a modulated clock/data stream. Unfortunately, glass fiber connections aren’t common anymore.
@@BotraxDiaz generally, I’d agree. However, I have FLAC rips that still don’t sound as good over a network than the CD they were ripped from, when played from a DCS Vivaldi One I recently acquired. That’s a bit of a mind bender. I also own a Oppo BDP-203 which is both a universal disc player and works as a Roon endpoint. I’m going to need to try that comparison to see if it’s a disk vs network thing, or if it’s a network vs local file thing (via a USB drive).
You use Mola-Mola DAC connected to this CD transport and compare Teac 701 CD player to it? I do not know exact price of Mola-Mola but it is an extremely unfair comparison.
No, you misunderstand, the TEAC is a TRANSPORT, not a CD PLAYER. The 701T doesn't have an internal DAC. The Mola Mola DAC was used with the 701T, Oppo UDP 203 and the Cambridge CXC. Fair playing field.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac You compared the single CDP to CDT + expensive DAC. A fair comparison might be using a DAC with the price of the difference between CDP and CDT.
Such a pity the 701T doesn't have an AES/EBU digital output, and maybe an i2s output. The Audiolab 9000CDT has the same problem; a high end, high price transport minus the high-end digital outputs.
I wouldn't buy a cd player with plastic transport at this price. It seems they have saved money here on an otherwise well put together machine. I think they make machined aluminium trays used by manufacturers of high end players and this is an important part of cdp playback and longevity. I prefer top loading transports as they Don't fail over time. I also agree that generally the high end cd players use dual mono power supplies and Dual dacs which don't really need an external dac, because they often out perform them. Also I have found a good quality mains cable into the cd player improves overall performance as well good quality interconects.
A year or so ago, you reviewed a Luxman Player/DAC(?), you said was “magical”! Would have liked to seem that in thr mix. Yeah at this price point, not having a USB connection for Transport control from a Streaming DAC is inexcusable as is no ‘i4’. Ripping CDs is becoming more of a thing now with used CDs selling for 2-5 bucks. My Eversolo can Rip Cds and having a substantial Transport for the cleanest Rips, (no not all CD Drives accurately transfer data(Digital Skipping), would be ideal. My Eversolo A6ME can control my Apple Super Drive via its USB connection. Coax and Optical cannot carry Transport Control Data(start, stop, skip…) its almost embarrassing they skimped on outputs.
Great review, tell me Steve which way would you go, buy a Jay’s transport and use I2S out into an Ares12th which I already own or buy the Venus 12 th and run I2S from my Oppo UDP203, which I already own, into the Venus 12th. The speakers are Klipsch La Scala’s, McIntosh c50 pre and a variety of amps, Carver tube, class D monoblocks and McIntosh mc352 SS. I simply want the most out of my CD’s.
Good questions John. First thing, I don't think the UDP 203 HDMI works as an I2S output. It's for video I believe. So it's back to the Jays dac if you want to use I2S. As for the Venus I have no experience with that, just the Ares and terminator DACS.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac actually my (and yours should as well) UDP 203 has two HDMI outs, one for video and Audi out and a 2nd HDMI for audio only out to connect to a receiver. You should try the Oppo via hdmi audio only into your mola mola and see if that works. Thanks for responding I really appreciate the work you do!
I would just get a cheap used CD player, Yamaha or Marantz, with digital out and use a proper DAC :P 2k for transport could get Ares II DAC and a random CD player
I don't even understand the point of this video ... If you want a piece of over-engineered HW with a matching price tag, sure go for it. Maybe you need this MQA/DSD support because ... sure, why not. But sound wise, the most expensive CD transport/CD player will sound exactly the same as 20$ DVD player when connected to external DAC. It is like all digital equipment - it either works or not. In case of the former, they will all work the same. Digital cables, network switches, etc.
That is indeed your rightfull experience and perceived reality ..........at the same time it is only your experience not always the the experience of other people. Even some high end gets it wrong , ........;;there's morec hidden in the CD just like a high quality vinyl will reveal compared with other ( even good ) turntables ...I took me several decades to get muisc out of the CD medium instead of high details and high performance SOUND.........music reproduction is different than audiophile hyped quialities......when analyzing even if you want to becomes impossible because music will suck you into it's magic what ever the source or system..........and you do not feel longer any need to upgrade , that's the moment when a real upgrade can mke irt even better .....in most cases when you do feel the nnedde for upgrading tan there is essentialy something realy wrong with your system , xwhatever the price of the componernts and whatever the reviews of the soundquality of these .......the eazrs and the soul do not lie ;....marketing does .as well as raving reviews do ..
@@frankgeeraerts6243 there is a difference between the experience and the facts. And the fact is that digital data remains true to source regardless of the pricetag. Any digital (non altering) transport before the DAC has 0 impact on what we hear. Only if it does some manipulations (like gain or room correction) then there is a difference. Otherwise the DAC gets the same bits as found in the source
I recondioned and modified my old 30 years CDP , no transistors, no opamps , SE tube output with OPT and ...............since I forget dreaming of a newer and current ( as well as expensive ) digital source , no IC between dac and player , .............I get a analog like musical experience out of it that lacks even on expensive new gear . So i am finaly enjoying CD replay since ........... Most problems of digital are related to .........time , rythm and pace.......the clock and to complex correction system that do more harm than good to the music . Also the quality of power supplies and decoupling of HF hash .....totaly silent background revealing texture, nuances , details hidden on discs that I knew for decades . No lo,ger RCA outputs but silver OCC IC directly solderd to the output of the OPT......... ........tubes are still the original ( nos) when bought ........still withinspecification ......and better than current production tubes ........ Have a nice day.........
Steve, Awesome channel! I'm just getting back into a home audio system since the late 70's! Could you or anybody more knowledgeable than me recommend a system for around $2500-$3000? Fav old albums are Steeley Dan Aja, Elton John Captain fantastic, any Pink FLoyd etc
I really don’t see why you’d ever go for the Teac over the Jay Audio - as you experienced, I2s is by far the better way to connect into a DAC as it carries the clock signal independently- you don’t even need a crazy priced hdmi cable to hear the differences versus AES/EBU or coax. If you are going to spend $2600 on a CD transport, you owe it to yourself to get a Holo Cyan2 or a Denafrips Pontus 2 and listen through i2s. The holo is half the price of the CD transport, the Denafrips a bit more but still below $2000. I really love what the engineers at TEAC do, but this time they missed the boat.
Spending over $2K for a CD player these days makes no sense. For less moola you can get a top quality universal disc player and hear CDs plus much higher resolution discs from SACD, DVD and Blu-ray (with some having video features as well).
Interesting video. A British Audiophile tested an SMSL cd player and commented that the digital out sounded rough while the analogue out was very good. Pearl acoustics made a two part video on several cd players new and old and ran them all through the same dac and they thought there was not a lot of difference between the transports.
So you're saying that there wasn't a lot of difference but there was a difference? And then again are these differences, no matter how small, are they worth it. I would argue for a lot of people they probably are. I mean people love to bitch and moan about expensive high-end audio because they don't see the relevance of it, relative to them. But in all honesty a lot of people can afford expensive gear and because they can afford it they enjoy it.
I still have a small CD collection. Mostly vinyl though. Yes this thing looks great but I could never justify the price. I purchased a Denon dj cd player at Auction for $60, and cd's sound great on it. I know a $500 player may sound a little better, but will this Teac sound 6 times better again?? No way. I'd rather spend $2000 on more vinyl 😊
Serious question. How can a CD transport, which ONLY puts out purely digital 0s and 1s to the DAC, SOUND different? I get how DACs can sound different, but "transports"?
@@HongNguyen-my5oq If the CD player doesn't user much hi tech in its transport section this can be true, but Teac uses exceptional tech in its transport section, well beyond what the Ayon jewellery brand does.
Thank you for confirming that the i2s connection is, when possible the way to go. IMO, the lack of i2s, AES and USB-C connections on the Teac makes it unsuitable for a CD transport in this price range. More and more DACs of comparable quality are including i2s connections. The lack of an industry standard on i2s pinout configurations is both frustrating and counter-productive to progress.
Thanks for showcasing CDs and transports! Viva physical media!! 👏🏻👏🏻
My Teac 701T arrived with me here in the UK a couple of days ago. I'm really enjoying using it actually. It is a chunky thing! I'm still in the process of getting used to its sound signature however it seems to produce this big very detailed soundstage.
I couldn't afford the VRDS 701T so I bought a PDT-505T. It replaced a Cambridge CXC at about twice it's price. There's a little deeper and cleaner bass. The highs are better defined, cymbals have more sizzle. Snare drums have more snap. It comes withe the same remote as the 701T. The CD drawer is the quietest I've ever heard.
Steve, thank you, this was a much awaited episode. Teac transports and dacs are really at the cutting edge for their price point (and often well beyond). The Teac UD-701N dac has fantastic feedback from audiophile sites, people are swapping out their Denafrips Terminator Plus for them, but no reviewer has yet managed to present them, would be great if you could!
Long live our beloved cd's! I love my audiolab 6000cdt, its simple but excellent!
Same here!
The problem is that audiolab scratch the CDs, some heavy some minimal scratches. There’s a video here on CZcams about it.
Just bought a Rotel DT-6000 CD Player. Most of my collection is CD but the machine also functions as a standalone DAC for coax, optical and USB inputs. It sounds outstanding and is about $1K cheaper than the equivalent TEAC player that you mentioned in passing. There are still plenty of good options for CD playback. I love this machine because it’s both old school and future proof. Spin all my old discs and play DSD256 via USB if needed.
The flawed dt6000 😅
In what way is it “flawed?”
@@razzman2987being silly grow up!!!!
@@clivepackergood choice take no notice of that idiot youll😢 always get one that crawls out of the CD tray enjoy 🎶🎶🎶🎶
I recently tried a ddc between the Jay cdt2 mk3 and my dac and it was a huge improvment.
YESSSSSSSS!!!! CD'S!!!!
Interesting..I’m still doing cds 💿
Running the Audiolab 6000 CDT
Into a new Denafrips Ares 12-1 DAC
And it’s glorious.!
You would get the exact same results with an old cheap Sony cd transport going into an smsl dac.
@@joc1016I had that for a while ..this is a step up in quality for me.
Have a great weekend.
@@joc1016 Good. You stick with that crap, assume spending more does no good and you can stay at that level forever, never knowing what you are missing. The rest of us will enjoy knowing better. I'm so sick of you know-it-all types who pass unwanted commentary like true authorities when you've usually heard a fraction of what you pretend to draw knowledge upon. I own a 6000CDT and a 9000CDT transport. I own a cheap SMSL and a much more expensive Ayon DAC and could tell the difference between the cheap and expensive transports and DACs blindfolded. This is because I actually own them so know what I'm talking about. I bet you can't say the same but still spout your arrogant, know-nothing bollocks.
@leeandrewclarke personally i think you sir should eat a snickers.
@@leeandrewclarkemy dream set up
DCS Bartok and Meze Emp’s Elites headphones or a Bravura Electrostatic set up.
As for a streamer DAC the Esoteric is fabulous.
Nice review Steve...I've been looking for more insight on the TEAC VRDS-701T.
I use the TEAC UD-701N DAC/Streamer with the TEAC CG-10M Master Clock Generator...fantastic combo. I only stream right now (rips and Qobuz), but I'm toying with the idea of getting the TEAC 701T, and you make it sound like it could be worthwhile, especially with my TEAC Clock.
Vinyl is my primary source, but I'm always up for improving my bits.
The only way this thing would have any benefit is if your DAC has an exceptional clock and a clock output to connect it to this thing, so that the transport outputs data that is clocked by the DAC. As someone below points out, an I2S connection to the DAC accomplishing something potentially similar. Otherwise, you're better off with a transport that buffers the entire CD into memory, then provides it asynchronously to the DAC, probably via a USB connection. It's a total waste of money to spin the disk very precisely when you should be instead be reading all the data off of the disc into a buffer, then letting the lock in the DAC itself meter that data into the DA converter part of it. The transport should concentrate on error free read of the CD, such as pre-reading the disc at very high speed and re-reading any parts of it as required that require error correction.
Can you provide the name of a DAC with a clock OUTput?
. How is the DACs request for data packets from the transport buffer relayed? It's kind of like E-Arc 2-way HDMI isn't it? Data comes in, requests go out.
USB only has 4 copper strands. Are they doubling up a signal that needs to be picked apart?
You partly answered my biggest question - why don't these disk readers just send the file to the DAC for it to then do its job? I am shocked that some transports send the data in "real-time" to a DAC. I don't see a reason for it. In my mind, it is worth some investment into a transport that is easy to use, quiet, reliable and can read many formats. But otherwise, it is a data file reader that doesn't need a solid top cover and isolation to do its job. So what is the advantage of "streaming" the digital file to a DAC? Is that how the first generation of CD players worked? Was there a technical reason for it, or just a legacy of analog sound reproduction? I mean, I guess we need to stream digital for the control. If I understand what is happening. (sorry for the long post) For example, if I "play" a song with Spotify, the stream is digital, and being decoded locally by my PC. That way I have full control of volume, pause and skip forward with the program. One final question: if I play a Spotify song with the PC, then send it via HDMI to my amp, is the raw digital file being sent to the amp, or does it get converted to an HDMI format first - going through two DACs, one on the PC and one in the amp?
@@gaba023 .
Which one of us partly answered your biggest question because I'm not so sure we're in agreement about clocks. I think Bob might be having some difficulty citing a DAC with that clock OUTput was talking about as necessary for the performance. And what was the answer?
Also, about the "It's only 1's & 0's" thing. Remember, those bits are traveling through highly conductive copper strands over a distance. There's a mains transformer, regulator & capacitors energizing the voltage gain amplifier pushing that signal. Plus all the emi, rfi & ultrasonic vibration from ringing sheet metal chassis covers too. It ALL gets pushed through to the next component. Unless it's properly addressed, of course.
I didn't understand the rest of what you were saying after where a second paragraph should have begun. Streaming CD's, double Spotify DACs with 2 HDMI's on a PC? Huh? Oh well, que sera.
If the electrical cable is picking up noise why not just use fiber connections?
I have a Musical Fidelity Transport connected via AES to a Grimm MU1 + Mola Mola Tambaqui. But....only to judge whether to rip or not. Rips will be on the disk inside the Grimm MU1. And then they sound the best. Better than played on the transport/streamer/dac chain. Why? No idea, but it is better as a rip than as a CD.
With the better weather, I spent a few hours putting my system outside in our sunken paved area! Lost a bit detail but gained more of a live feeling from the blues alley recordings on cd!
I love my OPPO BD105 BLU-RAY CD player!! I use it with an external DAC It does so much, and I use its RCA pre-out to run my two subs in stereo mode
I also have an Oppo BDP105, considering buying a standalone dac. What external dac do you use and what differences do you perceive when compared to the dac in the Oppo?
I've three CD transports, a Teac PD-301, a Cyrus CD-T, and an Olasonic Nano-CD1. The 1st two feed Meridian Director DACs, and the CD1 feeds an Olasonic Nano-UA1 w/ SPDIF coax & Toslink optical. The Teac PD-301 into the Director DAC outstrips that of the Teac's analog output.
I'd say that cd transports into external DACs do a much better job than a CD player on its own.
I like the various directions of your channel. You'll have to spin a U turn turntable next week :)
Bad jokes aside. I have picked up some radio station live recordings recently. 99x live x sessions in Atlanta and others, 99x plays these old recordings on Sunday mornings which you can stream. So, Good to see CD transports still beng produced. I still buy CDs. My streaming service is currently free and used for some music discovery. CDs are ripped in FLAC for replay.
Here's my problem with CD transports... How are they better than a hard drive? I can't wrap my head around all the isolation and smoothness because those are analog concepts that make a lot of sense with record players but I really can't justify spending thousands of dollars to make sure my laser is reading the ones and zeros in an environment that's meant for a stylus reading a groove. I'm not being snarky here. I just really don't get it. How is a CD transport costing $2K better than a BluRay I can get for a few hundred bucks that also offers a clean digital signal I can send to an external DAC?
I concur with you. I have a Marantz K1 Signature SACD player and a cheap 20-year-old Panasonic DVD player. They sound identical if I use both of these as a transport to play ordinary CDs to my Cambridge DAC. I fail to see how this TEAC would sound any different, even at that price point. Is it me, or am I just getting old perhaps?
One aspect is timing
@@grahame1981 Isn't timing and jitter generally a DAC artifact?
@@grahame1981Sorry, but not a factor in digital stream retrieval. There is NO benefit to a CD transport over a non-volatile memory system, like a hard drive or NVME drive.
Your doubts apply to much of the "audiophile" guff produced by these professional reviewers (especially old farts who cant hear beyond 12,000Hz and use 60's rock recordings as benchmarks). All their claims can easily be debunked by simple blind A/B testing (which is why they don't do it) such as the legendary clothes hangers vs. supercalifragilisticexpialidocious "audiophile" speaker cables test. For a fun read google: "reddit When was the last time you did a blinded A/B test".
What about throwing in a more common consumer level cd player and using its digital out to the Mola Mola? I imagine the dac will prove it’s really what makes all of them shine.
Hi Steve, I own the „little Brother“ of the TEAC 701T, the PD-505T, and run it together with the TEAC DAC/Headphone Amp/Preamp UD-505-X.
It’s a great sounding combination, really worth it's price, and definitely worth a closer look and a review.
By the way - the remote control seems to be identical, and the number keys allow you to program a playlist, if you don’t want to listen to all of the tracks of a record. A function I wouldn’t want to miss.
That sounds like an excellent combo. Teac offers the best quality brand in source components imo.
Picked up an Oracle CD2500 MKIV. Expensive as hell but it's got the same polished/lacquered machined block of aluminum floating frame/suspension system as the Delphi MKVII turntable (got one of those too), separate polished/lacquered control system/DAC (DAC can be bypassed if using an external unit), CD vibration damping/clamp system and a huge/heavy separate power supply. SDIF outputs plus balanced analog out puts. Not only beautiful sounding but also, as usual with Oracle Audio, visually absolutely stunning. There's nothing in the world like this piece of art work. (be prepared to shell out $20K Canadian)
I have the PS Audio SACD transport and the CompanionPerfectwace GAc mk2 and am using the 12r over HDMI and am very happy with the sound I'm getting.
For $6000+ you should be.
Having participated in a blind test of a fancy transport versus a stock CD player feeding the same DAC at a Stereophile sponsored New York City show in the 1990's (when my hearing was better) I am skeptical about a transport making *that* much difference. However, I might buy it for the track selection knob alone. What a great usability feature! My Sony N9100Es universal had one (which doubled as a job wheel for video disks).
One thing the Sony had that this Teac apparently does not is a track index display. That feature of Red Book CD seems to have gone by the wayside. A small number of classical CD's with long tracks e.g. Mahler symphonies, had them.
My main player now is the Oppo UDP205, which is the "audiophile" version of the 203 you compared in this test. I love its versatility as a silver disk player, network streamer and Roon endpoint, but hate its ergonomics for playing CD's. It's the only CD player I've ever used where you can't just enter a track number on the remote keypad and have it immediately start playing that track. I am seriously thinking of either putting this Teac into my system, or putting back the Sony, plus a good DAC. But I would hate the added complexity. Although judging from many viewer systems of the day, many of you do not seem to object to having two or more pieces with overlapping functions.
I have a Rega Saturn-R transport since many years and i love it. One of the good things with it is that it have a built in dac😁
Great review Steve! Glad to see companies are still coming out with new CD transport designs! My Bryston BCD-3 is still kicking butt and taking names! (Used as a transport).
I bought a Leak CD transport and a Mojo DAC. Sounds great and looks great. It really shows the difference in production value of the different CDs.
Your assessment aligns with mine… Yes, there are differences between transports, but you basically reach a functional quality limit unless you have an I2S connection, in which case, that will always win.
Key word Basically. We are Audiophiles we don’t really do “ basically “..lol
no there isnt, not with any cheap descent dac. most so-called audiophile transports are no better than a dvdplayer. pro-ject also sold old junk transports ment for boomboxes at a silly price. because customers believe and hear whatever they want to.
I used 3 different CD readers to rip my fairly large CD collection to flac and Apple lossless files. I play the files from a Mac Mini to a Denafrips DAC with external reclocker so I never have to touch the CDs anymore. The result is magic to my ears. Couch potato heaven!
Why guy?
I've tried various DACs and streamers but am yet to find a setup that sounds as good as a CD player. Choose sound quality, not couch potato convenience!
@@sonnyvarioni1654 A digital signal is a digital signal. A cd player won't make any magic to the sound. In fact, the file read from a harddrive is higher quality than the stream of a cd. The cd player has to do error correcting and dithering to fix the errors coming from reading a cd. The end result is still 100% bit perfect, mind you, unless the faults in the CD are so large that the error correcting mathematics fail and then you have a degratded bit depth in the signal. This is 99,9% caused by a damaged or dirty cd record though.
Why what?
1- That I used 3 CD readers? Because many CDs, even brand new ones have defects and can't be read bit perfectly but sometimes a different reader can handle it. A cd player, on the other hand, creates data to fill those missing bits so you don't notice the loss.
2- That I ripped to both flac and Apple lossless? Because at one time I thought I wanted to go full Apple fanboy but not anymore.
3- That I used a Mac to store and play the files? Because Windows or Mac is just a chocolate or vanilla choice to me.
4- That I don't play the actual CDs anymore? Because I have over 1,500 of them and no room to keep them in an accessible place so they're stored in boxes.
5- That I use an external DAC and reclocker? Because it sounds far better than any device with a built-in DAC that I have ever owned before. As Steve noted even my Oppo 203 is not that great for CD playback.
6- That I'm a lazy couch potato? Because I'm very old and feel that I've earned the right to vegetate sometimes.
7- And yes, I have nothing better to do than listen to music, watch CZcamss, and overly answer a simple two word question. 🤪
@@Munakas-wq3gp Nope. Streamers are computers, and computers add noise to the signal path. People who stream try to get around that by doing things like adding USB filters, network switches, thousand dollar ethernet cables, and other snake oil, but can never get to the purity of a CD. Streaming is a solution in search of a problem, it's made a lot of people rich, it's endlessly convenient, but it has has contributed zero to improving SQ.
Fantastic video Steve, and I have to say you know I notice this huge influx of every time somebody makes a video about something anymore that's hi-fi related, there seems to be a lot more voices that pop up lately to disparage and downplay the validity of what the video is about.
Teac makes good products and I haven't personally owned any of their latest stuff but I've heard it in friends and acquaintances systems And I thought overall that it was just wonderful gear.
Thanks for the video Steve and f the haters.
Yeh, I agree. I’m amazed by the ignorant responses too. 🙄
@@angelorasmijn7306 yeah instead of just being happy about the intent of the video, which is the idea that the CD format is fantastic and they still make quality devices and stuff works fantastic and all this stuff, all they got to do is talk about how it's cheap and it ain't worth the money and CDs suck and you know all this crap. And frankly it's got no a point where I'm sort of tired of hearing it, I mean I guess I could not watch CZcams videos but then what would I have to complain about 😂
A lot of the audiophiles use music as a tool to listen to their fancy systems but your passion for music itself is abundantly clear 🤛
Interesting review. I'm impressed you were able to hear so many differences between the different transports. Do you ever try to "blind" test these sort of products?
To play CDs I have 2 options hooked up. First is the a cheap Phillips blu ray player that outputs digital to Yamaha receiver. Only downfall is the TV has to be on to make it work. Second option is to play my old Luxman cd player from early 90s (I believe) which is made by Teac I believe. Bought it because of the extended warranty of something like 5 years. It's still going. I was only getting a few years out of my Yamaha CD players at the time. It sounds fine to me.
Awesome im in the market for a new CD player right now
I love my .7i speakers. Looking forward to your .7x review. I’m still a skeptic when it comes to CD transports. I use a decent Sony BluRay player for CDs, but I bypass the internal DAC.
MMG owner here looking for an upgrade. Bring on the Maggie reviews.
Got to disagree Steve, One of my gripes about some transports is the lack of numbered track buttons. I couldn't imagine an expensive transport like this one that made you hit the fast forward arrow six times to get to track 6..or 7. It just seems like one is throwing away one of the great benefits of CD play, direct immediate access to individual tracks. Maybe it's some people's habit to listen to a CD like and album and just plow through all the throw away cuts but its not my habit. I own another excellent transport the Audiolab 9000 and it allows me to select tracks as I wish. I always also find myself disappointed with the lack of USB or I2S outputs. Doesnt seem like a big cost add-on. The audiolab 9000 is also limited to SPDIF. Keep up the good work. Love it.
a CD transport is a 6 dollar Philips cd mechanism in a fancy box and a high pricetag. Snakeoil at its best.
The Shanling ET3 transport has both usb and I2S over HDMI for about $700. It also upsamples to Dsd if you fancy that. It also has a decent top loading mechanism.
As for if transports make a difference, I think they do but others mileage may vary.
But then I have the same Jay's as Steve, and an Oppo and a high end Denon universal player so have had plenty of chances to compare.
What I would say is that redbook only cd mechanisms beat dvd/bluray/cd mechanisms at playing cds.
@@jimfarrell4635in a blind test would you be able to distinguish between Jay’s and Shanling ET3?
@@nick_yt23 I can tell you that I had a lesser Oppo transport than Steves and the basic $500 Audiolab transport was better The 9000 is better than the basic model as well.
@@Munakas-wq3gp What, Phillips is the only company that makes CD mechanisms?
I think I'll stick with my Yamaha SACD / DVD player as my transport because it sounds great and still works perfectly since 2004 .
Yamaha , denon , marantz are the Brands to get for a good CD player. :)
Agree that the Sony knob track select is a great feature to have on a cd player/ transport. Im really suprised more manufacturers did not include this on their units when cds were a go to. I use my cd players a lot and have outlived the laser and drawers in all of them so far. Im curious what the mortality rate is between turntables and cd transports, and also between cd transports and integrated units.
Please explain why the 1s and 0s from a CD can vary from one device to another when the CD data itself is constant?
Spoiler: It can't and won't.
I couldn't begin to explain why, but when I changed my vintage Marantz 52 for a not-so-vintage Marantz 6000 OSE, both played through my Mojo DAC I was blown away how much better the newer CDP was. There's more to it than 0s and 1s, evidently.
I’ve been using the old (but quite heavy) Sony dvp 9000es as a transport with my Benchmark DAC.
Similar to Steve’s experience, I tried a relatively inexpensive transport but felt the Sony, at least for my tastes, was much better.
My guess is that when I have no choice but to replace the Sony, I’ll have to go with something like the Jay’s or the Teac.
Back in the 90's, I purchased a Sony CD player/changer, and it had fairly piss poor audio quality considering its cost, and may have benefit from an external DAC, but the crappy unit died just out of its short warranty, so I never purchased a Sony product again, as I had another portable Sony product before that which didn't last either.
I also use the Sony. It's a beauty.
Steve,
The Schiit Audio CD transport and Atoll 200 series CD transport should be in the mix. Both are well engineered, dedicated CD format
transports.
I liked this one. Wonder how it works.
Neither of those will beat the Teac though, the Teac has superior tech all round. The Teac beats everything below it in price and most transports above it as well. Unless you have an i2s dac.
Long live the CD. My only play back system. Looking forward to the review of the Maggies .7 X speaker.
Well done that man! 😃 Great to see CD back on your show, it is still the best format, sounds better than streaming or vinyl and Cd's are very affordable, not the crazy prices for audiophile vinyl. Great transport, however, there is one niggle, no balanced AES output. On the whole a pretty decent transport, well made, sounds good and hooked up to a decent dac, you have a top quality front end. 👍
Depends! Many vinyl destroy the CD, all depends of the pressing, each album is a different planet!
My results were quite different !
I have had many Disc players and the Cambridge CXC unit before switching to streaming local CD and High resolution vinyl rips & SACD files.
Under a direct comparison via Spdif coax to a Bryston DAC, I had the total opposite results between a Oppo UDP-205 or BDP-105 (I have both) and the CXC. The CXC was terrible (very thin sounding) with this or any other DAC I tried over the years.
While the Oppo was not the best it was always better with much more weight in the bottom end.
The Oppo did improve when I switched from CD's and DVD's (burnt with the Hires files) to playing the files from an SSD over USB.
The Oppo is now just used for the TV/video and not in the audio system.
I now use the Eversolo DMP-A6 as my streamer which is better Vs the Oppo both playing files from a SSD (internal SSD for the A6).
As for the time with the Cambridge CXC, I measured the coax output and did not see the cleanest waveforms on the coax output.
Opened up the unit and we have a cheap CD transport (I think they use on their cheaper CD players) feeding its spdif output to some additional buffers (not re-clocking) and out to the Optical, coax and AES/EBU outputs. Only slightly better Vs what you may see in a cheap CD player.
I made some mods to the circuit to clean up the waveforms but it never changed the sound !
It went into the E-waste bin a couple years ago...
I too will never go back to spinning those silver discs and often go back into my home studio and re-master the CD files.
PS: My comments on streaming are only for playing high quality wav & dsd files directly from a local drive and not with some of the better online streaming services etc.
There were two CD players in 1983...one from Philips aka Magnavox and one from Sony. Based on Steve's enthusiasm, they've come "a long way baby." I've had a few players since then but none of them were remarkably different, in sound, from my original Philips. Until now... It sounds like CD has evolved. I long for the "stereo salons" of the '60's (before mass marketers) and wish there were one around here where I could actually listen to this item.
I'm still enjoying my Vitus SCD-025Mk2 spinner as main source, but plan to upgrade to an sacd transport/dac combo in future.
i was at Monterey. ditched HS. drove up from Pacific Palisades on a whim. lucked out Otis Reddings group gave us tickets.
Okay, I need clarification on CD transport and DACS. A CD transport plus a DAC will make my CDs come to life more than with a CD player by itself. Correct? Will the CD player plus a DAC do the same thing?
For $2700 it better sound good!
And I never bought someting I couldn't improve.......
I think this shows what great value for money the Cambridge transport is.
Which in a blind AB test will sound no different than a PC's CD/DVD player.
Cd is definitely not dead I’ve 7 CD players all different makes the rega is my favourite sounds very analog
The top loaders from Rega -Saturn, Apollo etc. are sublime players, and very analog-ish sounding.
@@chrisvand2678brilliant cd player
I import so many CDs from Japan. I need a CD player or transport at some point. Still not sure if I want to go with an SACD player though. It's great to hear that it's worth it to spend the extra money on a higher-end player.
Love my old Meridian 500 CD transport. Looks cool and sounds better than the Sony blu-ray player I had been using
It's incredible you still have to explain what a dac is!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😎😎
Love Melting Pot I used to find that album quite often .... :) Cds are a great quick way to listen to music. Never had a problem with them.
My gripe about this TEAC is that those audiophiles old enough will remember those lust-worthy VRDS CD players TEAC made back in the 90s and will want the 701 as basically a nod to those legendary machines. To use a plastic drawer, when the 1990s VRDS machines usually used steel, is a real step down, especially when the company has invested so well into making an otherwise superbly-built transport. Then there's the lack of I2S and the crappy remote. It spoils an other wise great experience.
I had the same issue with my Audiolab 9000CDT. Sound quality is as good as it gets at the price but tinny top plate, no I2S and, yes, plastic tray. Even at £1000, I'd happily paid £200 more for better build, tray and I2S option. But, in a +£2000 machine like the TEAC 701, to save a few quid by cutting corners in supplying a plastic tray, generic remote and eschewing I2S is a slap in the face for the discerning audiophile who values a stellar experience. I might well have put the TEAC 701 on my list but I'm now thinking more of getting a CEC or the Jays Audio. These are machines which aim for the stars rather than be designed by accountants.
I own the 9000CDT as well (plugged into a Teac NT-503 dac with great synergy) and am very happy with it. As the Teac uses floating mechanisms on its transport and transformers, I am now thinking perhaps the smartest solution to step up from 90000CDT is to go for the Teac VRDS-701 which has an excellent Teac dac in it and presumably internal i2S connection between transport and Dac. Perhaps connected to a LHY OCK-2 OCXO clock, to match (or better) the Jay's OCXO click. Even the pro-British brand oriented What HiFi gave the 701 CD player a rave 5 star review. Noting that the 90000CDT uses a decent Teac transport as well, but not a VRDS version.
check out the Shanling ET3 it has i2s and is $700!
My first CD player was a TEAC VRDS 10, I used it for 10 years. I have this VRDS 701-T now and much better built than the the10.
I still have my Teac VRDS25, and indeed the interior and mechanism of this new CD player is very light, compared to its ancestor, which weighs 37 pounds, made of solid aluminum and steel ! 😉
Still have my old Audiolab 8000 CDM from 1998. Used with a more recent DAC it stoll delivers a pretty good sound. Now motivation to upgrade would have to include IR2S as well as AES. So while the TEAC is certainly a highly regarded ma hine and brand, I'll mist likely pass on this one.
I have a TEAC cd/FM player, but run the digital output to my Cambridge Audio DAC.
Would I be able to hear a difference with this more expensive setup?
I have the Cambridge. Among the Least expensive. Seems good to me.
I have the Cambridge too! Excellent machine.
PRICELESS INFO ( monterrey concert) ..that takes much experience to know. THANKS!
Wainwright III YES!. This review is in my opinion your best stuff.
Nice to hear, thank you
Love the Flaming Lips DSOTM! They're "With a Little Help From My Fwends" cover of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album is pretty good too!
Was the CD format supposed to be dead? I've bought four of them this month....
Ahh, Jay's and Denafrips Pontus II, I'm very happy with the I2s connection...
2:37 Steve was about to say: “Connectivity back there was prettay (prettay...) - Sparse.”😅 I was hoping he’d say “Good.”
I just purchased an Audiolab 9000CDT that was on sale and traded in my Audiolab 6000CDT to save a few bucks. I considered the Jay's but just couldn't justify spending that amount of money, even though 90% of my listening is CD's. Interestingly, the 9000CDT is significantly better than the 6000CDT so I can imagine what spending over $2k would buy. I have no regrets buying the 9000CDT.
Isn't the 6000cdt a transport, and the 9000cdt with a dac included?
The Audiolab 9000CDT is a "Transport only."
No Dac included. 19:02
The 9000CDT can't sound any different than the 6000CDT if both are working correctly. They both read the bits off the CD and send it to a DAC.
@@BrianHall-Oklahoma Logically they shouldn't sound any different from each other but differences between transports do exist.
Jay's is a top loader while the Teac loads from the front -- important if transport has to be placed where there's no headroom.
I do not have a dac apart from my RME audio interface, so am thinking of buying the full Teac cd player.
Do you have any opinions about the quality of the dac in that unit?
I’m not one of those people who will be upgrading every year, just looking for the best cd player I can afford.
& The Teac is indeed a beautiful looking bit of kit.
New to this level of stereo equipment so expect I’ll be impressed just curious about a pro’s opinion!
More than any other reviewer, perhaps because of his status as a prior salesman, I remind myself what a never ending snake oil drenched hobby!
Yes, it’s a sketchy business for sure.
It is all in the DA converter. If digital information worked like you guys think it does, no program downloaded from a CD would work.
If coax or I2S is used, the clocking of the signal is by default the one from the transport, not the dac (unlike USB). Some transports also do oversampling, which is another source of differentiation.
Yep. Clocking and jitter make a difference. Also accurate reading of the disc rather than relying on error correction. Why in my view redbook cd drives do a better job than multidisc/pc drives at playing redbook cds.
I do agree that you can get excellent results from a budget Bluray player and a good DAC and in the world of transports the law of diminishing returns is particularly vicious.
I haven't really had experience with this, but I thought that the DAC made more difference in sound than the transport. Am I wrong about that?
You are correct.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac BTW, I've had a pair of Eminent Tech LFT-8C for four months, thanks to your review. I lope to get them in June.
Sorry but I have to ask: what is the black vertical line on the left side of your glasses?
PS, great videos!
It's a design thing, intentionally asymmetrical.
Hi Steve
Have you reviewed any Chord Audio DACs especially the Mojo 2?
I tried searching your channel but didn’t see any reviews.
I reviewed the original mojo and other CHORD products forcnet.com
Any thoughts of how the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2-T compares the the TEAC transport?
With build quality, does this mean the laser will last longer? Lasers always die on me, even before the tray starts short circuiting. I think modern cd players/ transports should come with a spare of each for easy replacement and another 5 years of use!
Technically one could hook up any generic CDT to a decent DAC like say the Chord Mojo and match the sonic output from this TEAC-MolaMola. So then, what am I paying $2.7k for?? 😮
Steve didn’t mention the relative cost of the 2 other transports. I thought the Cambridge deserves a Pat on the back, since it’s considerably cheaper than the Teac.
They are wonderful machines,BUT...what about the laser?I do beleive that is the main issue for vintage CDs...parts become rare and expensive.I got a VRDS 25 like new,but find a laser is an headache..what do you think about?
I like the nu do. (hairdo)
If it's outputting a purely digital signal, won't it be exactly the same regardless of the player?
No
How do different transports produce different results?
Exactly. Transports don't even modify the digital data, why they should sound different makes no sense
@@BotraxDiaz i just asked same question
Binary data from the disk has to be transmitted (over spdif) with the clock signal modulated into the data stream.
I2s solves this by transmitting the clock and data channels separately, and USB transmits data into a buffer.
With SPDIF coax, the DAC relies on the source’s clock signal and the quality of the modulation. Also, there’s a potential for ground plane noise coupling between components.
With i2s, the DAC still relies on the source clock.
With USB, clocking is done at the receiving end. Any variability is the byproduct of the USB transmitter/receiver and any coupled noise between the devices. USB audio doesn’t provide a method for requesting dropped packets like it does in computer data transfer though.
Toslink isn’t a robust solution, as it’s SPDIF, but has the advantage of galvanic isolation.
ST Glass solves the issues of noise and improves the optical interface. It’s still a modulated clock/data stream. Unfortunately, glass fiber connections aren’t common anymore.
@@ChrisMag100 FLAC rip for the win, then.
@@BotraxDiaz generally, I’d agree. However, I have FLAC rips that still don’t sound as good over a network than the CD they were ripped from, when played from a DCS Vivaldi One I recently acquired. That’s a bit of a mind bender. I also own a Oppo BDP-203 which is both a universal disc player and works as a Roon endpoint. I’m going to need to try that comparison to see if it’s a disk vs network thing, or if it’s a network vs local file thing (via a USB drive).
You use Mola-Mola DAC connected to this CD transport and compare Teac 701 CD player to it? I do not know exact price of Mola-Mola but it is an extremely unfair comparison.
No, you misunderstand, the TEAC is a TRANSPORT, not a CD PLAYER. The 701T doesn't have an internal DAC. The Mola Mola DAC was used with the 701T, Oppo UDP 203 and the Cambridge CXC. Fair playing field.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac You compared the single CDP to CDT + expensive DAC. A fair comparison might be using a DAC with the price of the difference between CDP and CDT.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac I am not talking about your comparing Teac, Oppo, Cambridge..using thee same Mola-Mola.
You may not yet be aware of the transport I perceive as an absolute steal for a mere $750- Shanling ET3 top loader + USB to read hi-end files!
Such a pity the 701T doesn't have an AES/EBU digital output, and maybe an i2s output. The Audiolab 9000CDT has the same problem; a high end, high price transport minus the high-end digital outputs.
I wouldn't buy a cd player with plastic transport at this price. It seems they have saved money here on an otherwise well put together machine.
I think they make machined aluminium trays used by manufacturers of high end players and this is an important part of cdp playback and longevity.
I prefer top loading transports as they
Don't fail over time.
I also agree that generally the high end cd players use dual mono power supplies and
Dual dacs which don't really need an external dac, because they often out perform them.
Also I have found a good quality mains cable into the cd player improves overall performance as well good quality interconects.
CDis the superior form of listening to music
A year or so ago, you reviewed a Luxman Player/DAC(?), you said was “magical”! Would have liked to seem that in thr mix. Yeah at this price point, not having a USB connection for Transport control from a Streaming DAC is inexcusable as is no ‘i4’. Ripping CDs is becoming more of a thing now with used CDs selling for 2-5 bucks. My Eversolo can Rip Cds and having a substantial Transport for the cleanest Rips, (no not all CD Drives accurately transfer data(Digital Skipping), would be ideal. My Eversolo A6ME can control my Apple Super Drive via its USB connection. Coax and Optical cannot carry Transport Control Data(start, stop, skip…) its almost embarrassing they skimped on outputs.
Great review, tell me Steve which way would you go, buy a Jay’s transport and use I2S out into an Ares12th which I already own or buy the Venus 12 th and run I2S from my Oppo UDP203, which I already own, into the Venus 12th. The speakers are Klipsch La Scala’s, McIntosh c50 pre and a variety of amps, Carver tube, class D monoblocks and McIntosh mc352 SS. I simply want the most out of my CD’s.
Good questions John. First thing, I don't think the UDP 203 HDMI works as an I2S output. It's for video I believe. So it's back to the Jays dac if you want to use I2S. As for the Venus I have no experience with that, just the Ares and terminator DACS.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac actually my (and yours should as well) UDP 203 has two HDMI outs, one for video and Audi out and a 2nd HDMI for audio only out to connect to a receiver. You should try the Oppo via hdmi audio only into your mola mola and see if that works. Thanks for responding I really appreciate the work you do!
I would just get a cheap used CD player, Yamaha or Marantz, with digital out and use a proper DAC :P 2k for transport could get Ares II DAC and a random CD player
I don't even understand the point of this video ...
If you want a piece of over-engineered HW with a matching price tag, sure go for it. Maybe you need this MQA/DSD support because ... sure, why not.
But sound wise, the most expensive CD transport/CD player will sound exactly the same as 20$ DVD player when connected to external DAC.
It is like all digital equipment - it either works or not. In case of the former, they will all work the same. Digital cables, network switches, etc.
That is indeed your rightfull experience and perceived reality ..........at the same time it is only your experience not always the the experience of other people.
Even some high end gets it wrong , ........;;there's morec hidden in the CD just like a high quality vinyl will reveal compared with other ( even good ) turntables ...I took me several decades to get muisc out of the CD medium instead of high details and high performance SOUND.........music reproduction is different than audiophile hyped quialities......when analyzing even if you want to becomes impossible because music will suck you into it's magic what ever the source or system..........and you do not feel longer any need to upgrade , that's the moment when a real upgrade can mke irt even better .....in most cases when you do feel the nnedde for upgrading tan there is essentialy something realy wrong with your system , xwhatever the price of the componernts and whatever the reviews of the soundquality of these .......the eazrs and the soul do not lie ;....marketing does .as well as raving reviews do ..
@@frankgeeraerts6243 there is a difference between the experience and the facts. And the fact is that digital data remains true to source regardless of the pricetag. Any digital (non altering) transport before the DAC has 0 impact on what we hear. Only if it does some manipulations (like gain or room correction) then there is a difference. Otherwise the DAC gets the same bits as found in the source
I recondioned and modified my old 30 years CDP , no transistors, no opamps , SE tube output with OPT and ...............since I forget dreaming of a newer and current ( as well as expensive ) digital source , no IC between dac and player , .............I get a analog like musical experience out of it that lacks even on expensive new gear .
So i am finaly enjoying CD replay since ...........
Most problems of digital are related to .........time , rythm and pace.......the clock and to complex correction system that do more harm than good to the music .
Also the quality of power supplies and decoupling of HF hash .....totaly silent background revealing texture, nuances , details hidden on discs that I knew for decades .
No lo,ger RCA outputs but silver OCC IC directly solderd to the output of the OPT.........
........tubes are still the original ( nos) when bought ........still withinspecification ......and better than current production tubes ........
Have a nice day.........
the analog stuff i have are my 4 analog synthesiser aka my 3 moog and the behringer neutron tbh for now no cap
Tray ought to be solid metal billet like the top plate
Thanks for the great review confirms my belief I2S is better
Steve, Awesome channel! I'm just getting back into a home audio system since the late 70's! Could you or anybody more knowledgeable than me recommend a system for around $2500-$3000? Fav old albums are Steeley Dan Aja, Elton John Captain fantastic, any Pink FLoyd etc
I really don’t see why you’d ever go for the Teac over the Jay Audio - as you experienced, I2s is by far the better way to connect into a DAC as it carries the clock signal independently- you don’t even need a crazy priced hdmi cable to hear the differences versus AES/EBU or coax. If you are going to spend $2600 on a CD transport, you owe it to yourself to get a Holo Cyan2 or a Denafrips Pontus 2 and listen through i2s. The holo is half the price of the CD transport, the Denafrips a bit more but still below $2000. I really love what the engineers at TEAC do, but this time they missed the boat.
Spending over $2K for a CD player these days makes no sense. For less moola you can get a top quality universal disc player and hear CDs plus much higher resolution discs from SACD, DVD and Blu-ray (with some having video features as well).
That's why I have a Sony 4k player.
It also decodes SACD disks for $250.
I'm broke, not cheap.
Yes, get a high end Sony 4k player. Mine plays every format of disc ever created (seemingly). Excellent for music as well as movies.
Interesting video. A British Audiophile tested an SMSL cd player and commented that the digital out sounded rough while the analogue out was very good. Pearl acoustics made a two part video on several cd players new and old and ran them all through the same dac and they thought there was not a lot of difference between the transports.
So you're saying that there wasn't a lot of difference but there was a difference? And then again are these differences, no matter how small, are they worth it.
I would argue for a lot of people they probably are. I mean people love to bitch and moan about expensive high-end audio because they don't see the relevance of it, relative to them. But in all honesty a lot of people can afford expensive gear and because they can afford it they enjoy it.
@@Audiorevue What I am saying is that there is probably more to it, and results seem to vary.
Steve, I saw your star on Hollywood Blvd. Oh, wait that's another Steve Gutenberg! Who's that guy?
I still have a small CD collection. Mostly vinyl though. Yes this thing looks great but I could never justify the price. I purchased a Denon dj cd player at Auction for $60, and cd's sound great on it. I know a $500 player may sound a little better, but will this Teac sound 6 times better again?? No way. I'd rather spend $2000 on more vinyl 😊
Serious question. How can a CD transport, which ONLY puts out purely digital 0s and 1s to the DAC, SOUND different? I get how DACs can sound different, but "transports"?
Check out the Ana{dialogue) channel. It all about the DAC. 59$ sounds just as good as the 20k playing through the same DAC
@@HongNguyen-my5oq that’s not quite accurate
Look up Hans Beekhuyzen, his channel explains all such digital technical matters in detail.
@@HongNguyen-my5oq If the CD player doesn't user much hi tech in its transport section this can be true, but Teac uses exceptional tech in its transport section, well beyond what the Ayon jewellery brand does.
@@connorduke4619 You don't really take him seriously do you? You should only watch him to laugh at his lack of knowledge.