Do it Al, borrow the PST. I respect your opinion most of all. Satisfy your curiosity and also let us know what you think.
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Absolutely. I want my commission …
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And you Phil, you and your commissions. You will be drowning in your commissions, the PST is that good!!
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I know, tell me something I don’t know 
. It’s only a matter of time, for @aangen. He is only delaying the inevitable. The money is almost in the bank, my commission is almost in. It won’t be very long, now. Paul, prepare the money transfer …
One transport to rule them all …
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I’m sorry, if this has been discussed before and I couldn’t find it, but does the CDT2-MK3 always use upsampling to 24bit? My DS DAC always displays 24bit even when I do not use the upsampling feature of the CDT2-MK3 using coax or I2S. Using my Oppo 105D or my Yamaha CD-S2100 the correct sampling rate of 16bit is being displayed. The CDT2-MK3 is a great sounding machine but it annoys me a little bit that it might not be possible to turn off upsampling completely.
Okay, I believe I now have the ability to compare the PST to the Jay’s Audio CDT2-MKIII on their abilities to impress me, on my system, as I like to use it. Your system, perhaps different.
I got the Grimm MU1 a week ago. It makes Roon sound quite wonderful. I think even Paul McGowan would agree. And it has inputs that let it work it’s magic on CD transports, or SACD transports. Except with the PST it cannot for reasons unknown to me at this time. I am working with Grimm on this to try to determine why.
The PST plugged directly into my DAC sounds delicious. It is without a doubt as good as I have heard. I don’t have an I2S equipped DAC handy at this time so I can’t make use of the SACD capability. The black colored machine is stunning. Very smooth operation and I love how smooth and quiet the drawer is. An excellent machine*.
The Jay’s Audio CDT2-MKIII feels so much more substantial. I love the manual opening top load feature. I bought the fancy made from Leprechaun bone CD stabilizer which sorta made some difference. When I load a CD I see the laser assembly that is so not a computer style reader. No sir, this one was made for audio only. It sounds like it.
Plugged directly into my DAC it is stunning all on its own. It scared me into thinking it sounded identical to the Grimm MU1. It actually might. It shocks me.
In comparison to the PST I have to give the Jay’s the top spot, but not so much that it sounds better than the PST, it might or it might not. Too close to tell. The PST can also play SACDs and anything from a thumb drive. That should put it ahead but here at my house it doesn’t, and here is why.
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My beloved Gryphon Kalliope DAC does not have an I2S input so the SACD capability can’t be used.
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Grimm MU1 processing. The Grimm can upsample and de-jitter a signal through its three inputs. And it is not as simple as ordinary upsampling, nor is it as simple as de-jittering. And what it does is completely obvious. When I pass the signal from the CDT2-MKIII through the MU1 it sounds So Much Better. It totally steps right on up. Sadly, when I route the PST through it for some reason, the data is not upsampled nor de-jittered or improved in any way. To prove this I had the PST directly connected to my DAC and going through the MU1. Using the remote for my DAC I could switch back and forth. I couldn’t detect a difference. But the same CD played from Jay’s through the MU1 now sounds heavenly in comparison. Night and day.
So it’s apples and oranges for me. Even if the non processing issue gets fixed, I still don’t have an I2S input. If I did the PST would be an automatic yes. Should I find myself owning a DSD MKII or a TSS in the future it will have to include a PST. But right here, right now it is not compatible with my system and it makes no sense for me to pursue until such a time that I have a new PS Audio DAC.
I have to say this whole situation reminds me of why I strongly dislike Sony. They often create situations where if you buy one piece of gear from them it requires additional Sony gear to function, Bah.
*But in this particular case I fear Sony required some new nasty something in return for allowing PS Audio to allow DSD over I2S.
Putting my tinfoil hat back on and listening some more to this MU1 thang.
Update: Awesome! After writing all that the MU1 “Magic” processing started working properly.
(Of course it did)
So now the PST does work with the MU1. Stay tuned for hourly updates.
(I should never remove my tinfoil hat!!!)
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Thank you for sharing. It’s surprising that they sound so close (« to close to tell »), given the big difference in price.
But we should keep in mind that PSA states clearly in the manual that the best output of the PST is I2S. I tried AES and I2S on my PST, and I2S won easily.
It will be interesting to hear your thoughts when you buy the DS mk2 and compare the transports into it through I2S.
Edit : don’t you still have your DS mk1 to compare with I2S?
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My friend actually bought a Jay Audio CDT2 MKIII. But since it cannot play SACDs, I’m not interested in comparing it to the PST. CDs sound to me is always compromised compared to SACD and Hi-Rez files. There’s only a few CDs I actually like but still nothing like compared to the same music on DSD and
Hi-Rez files.
Maybe I need the Grimm to even the odds.
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I agree about the feel of quality with the Jay’s. Although the sound of the PST leaves me wanting nothing, it’s superb, the look and feel give me the impression that if they were building to a price, they reduced costs on esthetics. Which, I guess is a good thing.
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Sounds to me you need the Jay’s DAC2-MK3 R-2R Dac to use the HDMI ( i2S ) connection from the Jays transport to the Jays Dac 
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My DSD Sr. Is currently on loan to a friend. I want him to hear what he is missing.
I fully agree that with a i2s input the PST would be the better machine.
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I’m curious as to why you say “I fully agree that with a i2s input the PST would be the better machine.”
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I have lots of experience with i2s to a PS Audio DSD DAC. It sounds better. Plus I would be able to use the SACD functionality that I can’t without it. I will find out some day.
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Just to be clear;you’re saying that the PST is superior to the Jay’s Audio for Redbook CDs?
I would assume anyone buying a PST wants to see how much better the DSD layer is compared to the 16 bit layer, and they not be disappointed. Extracting this raw DSD layer to a separate high performance, DAC you really have to hear to believe how good it sounds. The performance is really in another league totally from this 16 bit stuff.
Just to be clear, no, I am not going to say that.
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To prove my point, I just played 2 versions of Patricia Barber (Companion) on my PST and the CD version sounded like cardboard cutouts compared with dense tangible images of the SACD version.
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I only have 15 SACDs, and thousands of CDs.
I the Jays is roughly at the same level as the PST for CDs, and it costs less than half, a Jays may be in my future when my PST dies of old age.
Thank you Al for saving me some (future) money 
.
you know how it goes. Like with video, first you get these DVD movies, then you get copies of the same movies as the media advances up to 4K. So is it with CD’s. Now I have SACD copies of most of my best CD’s and then some. When something better comes along, I usually change to the better whatever it is.
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I have a couple hundred SACDs, so I went with the PST. I had a good trade to offset the expense, which made it much more reasonable. PST is hands down the best CD transport I have ever heard. No regret with my purchase.
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