Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transportrer with high end DAC
agentsmith;392448 Wrote: Yes it does sound like the Transporter runs with the best of them. I was wondering how people acquainted with high end DAC costing 10X+ of the Benchmark or Lavry DACs think of how the Transporter analog stacks up. I am running my Transporter into the digital input of an APL NWO 3.0. I have also run the XLR analog balanced outputs of the Transporter through the NWO in bypass mode. The NWO is running direct to the amp. I was able to compare the Transporter analog outputs to sound processed through the NWOs DAC and also to the same CD playing on the NWO. My Transporter has clock and power supply mods by APL but none to the analog output stage. I use the BNC digital output. My opinion is that the Transporter analog ouput sounds very good provided that the volume level is kept in is kept high enough so that bits are not disgarded. Compared to the NWO in DAC mode, the analog output sounds a bit dry. It is easy to compare the sound of the attentuators and the NWO's is much better. It operates in analog mode at higher volume settings and switches over to digital attentuation at lower volumes. Transporter owners can add analog attentuators to their system if driving amps directly. As far as CDs playing on the NWO versus the Transporter, the NWO has superior resolution on well recorded CDs. The degree depends on the digital cable used and this is probably system dependent. My goal was to find the cable that sounded closest to the NWO in CD mode. After trying several, I chose the Von Gaylord digital. It took several months for thia cable to break in and at first sounded not as good than some others I was trying (ART, Von Gaylord analog, various CATV samples, closet cables). With these other cables there was some degree of a signature (hardness, dialectric signature, impaired focus or other subtle irritaion) evident. Currently the transport in the NWO is used mostly to play SACD and DVD-As. 90% of CD listening is done using the Transporter driving its DAC. Bob -- DotSystem DotSystem's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=15213 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=59067 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transportrer with high end DAC
According to the link below, there seem to be 3 different vongaylord cables costing £349, $495 and $995. Which of these did you choose? http://www.vongaylordaudio.com/product_html/procables.htm Whichever it was, it seems an awful lot of money to pay for something that needs months of running in. How do you know it was the cable that run-in, rather than (say) your speakers changing with age? -- JezA JezA's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=21219 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=59067 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transportrer with high end DAC
It is the Chincilla Digital model (RCA terminated). I am using the Monster BNC adaptors. The VG Chichilla Digital cable with these adaptors sounds better than the Zu and ART cables I tried with BNC terminations. Yes it is pricey. Is it the best possible match? I can't be certain. I had the cable on loan for about six months and it probably spent as much time on the Frykleaner as in the system. At first, the regular Chinhilla interconnect (with several years of use) sounded better. Apparently there is quite a bit of mass in the conductors of the digital cable. Also, there is a lot of metal in the adaptors. In general I have found connectors such as XLR and binding posts to take longer to break in than RCAs. That is why I held onto the Chinchills Digital as long as I did before committing to the purchase or returning them. I did have the luxury of making mutiple comparisons over a period of months. I noticed a level drop during NWO Player/DAC comparisons that required adjustment with the other cables but not with the Chinchilla Digital. To clarify, the DACc output level was lover than the CD playing level. This suggests that the VG has a better electrical interface in this setup. These results may not apply at all if using the Transporter with a different external DAC. It is a good enough match to make me not care about the sound difference between the Transporter and the NWO's Teac transport. With the other cables I tried, I felt using the DAC was an unacceptable step down because I would lock onto the cables signature within a few hours to the point where it was less desirable than listening to the NWO in player mode. The speakers in use during these comparisons had aged for years. The comparisons occurred on and off during a period of months. All cables spent substantial time on the Frykleaner. Bob -- DotSystem DotSystem's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=15213 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=59067 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transportrer with high end DAC
I've been a dedicated Naim amp man for over a decade and am unlikely to ever move away... but, on the forum it's difficult to get many of the members interested in 'Distributed Audio' let alone a device that was developed by a company without 20+ years credibility as an audiophile brand. My dealer was extremely complimentary about my system when he installed the latest amps - probably the best 'computer audio' system he had ever heard. I think many of the other members would be pleasently surprised if they opened their minds long enough. -- DaveBk DaveBk... Transporter, Naim NAC 252/SuperCap/NAP300, Guru Pro Audio QM10s DaveBk's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=19277 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=59067 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transportrer with high end DAC
DaveBk;392707 Wrote: I've been a dedicated Naim amp man for over a decade and am unlikely to ever move away... but, on the forum it's difficult to get many of the members interested in 'Distributed Audio' let alone a device that was developed by a company without 20+ years credibility as an audiophile brand. My dealer was extremely complimentary about my system when he installed the latest amps - probably the best 'computer audio' system he had ever heard. I think many of the other members would be pleasently surprised if they opened their minds long enough. Agree, but curiously the Lavry DA10 has generated such an interest in the forum, even compared to a CD555 with 2 555PS! They should have heard the Transporter, I owned the Lavry and Benchmark DAC. In my humble Naim system the Transporter is way ahead. But with your Naim equipment level, the fact that you are happy with the transporter should be quite an endorsement? If you do a shootout with a CD555 like the Lavry, may be there will be an exodus to the transporter as well. -- agentsmith System 1: Transporter, Naim 202/200/Hicap/NAPSC, Harbeth Monitor 30 System 2: SB2 connected via TOSLINK to a Meridian F80 agentsmith's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1838 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=59067 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transportrer with high end DAC
Same answer over here then... agentsmith (aka JY) The Transporter's a really capable source that holds it head up well against some high end competition! -- DaveBk DaveBk... Transporter, Naim NAC 252/SuperCap/NAP300, Guru Pro Audio QM10s DaveBk's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=19277 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=59067 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transportrer with high end DAC
DaveBk;392368 Wrote: Same answer over here then... agentsmith (aka JY) The Transporter's a really capable source that holds it head up well against some high end competition! Yes it does sound like the Transporter runs with the best of them. I was wondering how people acquainted with high end DAC costing 10X+ of the Benchmark or Lavry DACs think of how the Transporter analog stacks up. I think that stir that the Lavry is causing at the Naim board is overdone. Wait till they all hear the Transporter in a good system. -- agentsmith System 1: Transporter, Naim 202/200/Hicap/NAPSC, Harbeth Monitor 30 System 2: SB2 connected via TOSLINK to a Meridian F80 agentsmith's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1838 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=59067 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transportrer with high end DAC
I can give you one perspective on this, based on trying my Transporter with my Mark Levinson 390S CD player. (The 390S has digital inputs, so can also be used as a DAC, although without a word clock connection. I should also say that I have only just purchased the Transporter, so this is not based on long periods of listening.) My impression is that playing the digital output from the Transporter via the 390S was somewhat more detailed, compared going direct from the Transporter's balanced output to my pre-amp. It was hard, though, the get the volume levels exactly the same, so I could not claim that this was, in any sense, an objective comparison. And WSLam is quite right to make the point, that different is not necessarily better One other point: this comparison was only made with 44.1kHz / 16 bit recordings. It seems that the 390S only accepts CD-level resolution on its digital inputs (although it does then upsample). I must say that 88.2kHz / 24 bit FLAC files played direct through the Transporter sound fantastic! In any event, although some difference (improvement?) may be possible by connecting via an external DAC, I am inclined to say that it is probably not worth it. Whether with 44.1 / 16 or higher resolutions, the Transporter on its own sounds great! No need to experiment, in my opinion -- Vereina Vereina's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=22342 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=59067 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transportrer with high end DAC
I use the Transporter with a dCS Elgar+/Purcell DSC and upsampler (upsample to DSD). I use the Elgar clock as master. (The TP replaces my dCS Verdi SACD player that is now stowed away...) I definitely perfer using the TP with the external DAC/Upsampler over running the TP directly, although TPs clock and DAC is very good given the price. The Elgar master clock gives an important added definition to the TPs dynamics and punch precision. Adding the external DAC and upsampler to the chain, it gives a softer and more neuanced sound. I notice a little more 3D effect, better focus and more extended highs and lows. The midrange is a bit more realistic. These might be small issues, but as an audiophile, I regard them as very important. Although, should I have to send the dCS combo away for upgrade or repair, I would probably not go crazy in the meantime :). Cheers. -- Rocket Rocket's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=23381 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=59067 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transportrer with high end DAC
Thanks Vereina and Rocket, Considering the calibre of the products mentioned, I guess the Transporter is in good company. I will try to enjoy it for a while before upgrade itch kicks in, or Transporter 2.0 comes out :) -- agentsmith System 1: Transporter, Naim 202/200/Hicap/NAPSC, Harbeth Monitor 30 System 2: SB2 connected via TOSLINK to a Meridian F80 agentsmith's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1838 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=59067 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transportrer with high end DAC
Thanks WSLAM, I trust your opinion - with equipment of such calibre and no significant equipment changes for a while. (I know many people in Hong Kong who change equipment once every couple of weeks.) I am also at a stage when I do not think my system can easily be improved at its price point, and that is a happy place to be. The Transporter and the Harbeth M30s have managed to bring me to this stage. I am sure it is no Magico but that is a whole different ballgame. I guess I will try to be content and just enjoy my music collection. Currently listening to The Pianist soundtrack and it sounds glorious. -- agentsmith System 1: Transporter, Naim 202/200/Hicap/NAPSC, Harbeth Monitor 30 System 2: SB2 connected via TOSLINK to a Meridian F80 agentsmith's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1838 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=59067 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transportrer with high end DAC
Has anyone with a Transporter used it with a higher end DAC with word clock input? circa DCS/EMM Labs/Esoteric/Opheus/Acoustic Arts? Or even the plain old DAC64? I'd be interested to know if anyone has managed to improve the Transporter substantially with an external DAC. -- agentsmith System 1: Transporter, Naim 202/200/Hicap/NAPSC, Harbeth Monitor 30 System 2: SB2 connected via TOSLINK to a Meridian F80 agentsmith's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=1838 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=59067 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transportrer with high end DAC
agentsmith;391232 Wrote: Has anyone with a Transporter used it with a higher end DAC with word clock input? circa DCS/EMM Labs/Esoteric/Opheus/Acoustic Arts? Or even the plain old DAC64? I'd be interested to know if anyone has managed to improve the Transporter substantially with an external DAC. I use a DCC2 SE. As with all mix and match, you can always get a DIFFERENT sound, but whether different equals good, that's a whole different topic. The Transporter, imho, gives most high end DAC a run for its money. The DAC is excellent. I have it setup so that I could listen to the Transporter's analog out vs DCC2 SE processed signal with a click of a button, and in a casual listening session, everyone (3 people) preferred the Transporter's sound. The DCC2 SE is a little more extended on the top end... but I really don't know if that mean it's better... I have also tried using the DCC2 SE as master clock. I PREFER to stick with the internal clock on the transporter. Using the DCC2 SE as master clock give a slightly more clinical sound. Perhaps cleaner, but definitely more clinical. -- WSLam WSLam Slim Devices Transporter - TacT RCS2.2XP (Digital Crossover and RCS) + EMM Labs DCC2 SE - darTZeel NHB-108 Model B + Acoustic Reality eAR1001 - Wilson Benesch Torus Infrasonic Generator + Magico Mini II 'Photos of Transporter, Inside Out' (http://photos.lam.ws/gallery/1930618) | 'Photos of my Setup' (http://photos.lam.ws/Hi-Fi) WSLam's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=830 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=59067 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
