Current Opinions of Jays Audio CDT2-MkII Transport

Audio Components Transports
141

I am actually not very interested in SACD discs at all. As I mentioned I have less than a dozen. But CDs, I have so very many CDs. And the word is that the PST gets so much out of a normal CD that the difference between the two is greatly reduced. Early adopters pretty much unanimously sang its praises.

My audio guru has two very nice $40k CD players he thinks I would enjoy. One is the Gryphon Ethos that includes a DAC that us the equal or better of my Gryphon Kalliope DAC. It is a pretty amazing device. I can’t remember what the other was. He said he’d take my Kalliope back and offer me the full amount I paid for it towards the Ethos. That amounts to over $16K to get the fancy device. The Ethos only plays Redbook CDs, no SACD.

I suppose the thing to do is take PS Audio up on the 30 day trial and see whats up with the PST. I very well may do that after I play with the Grimm MU1.

2 Likes
142

I am sorry but my experience is otherwise.

I absolutely agree that the DSD recorded and mastered music generally sounds better than main stream recordings. But rather due to the skills of the recording and mastering engineers who really need to know what they are doing when working with DSD as it offers very limited DSP possibilities.

Whether that music is then played in vinyl, Redbook CD, converted PCM or native DSD is rather academic unless you have a extremely refined hearing and a extremely revealing (very expensive) system.

The lack of available DSD content apart of Octave Music and Blue Coast Music is another big issue.
There simply is not much choice.

On top of that DSD music from more popular artists is prohibited from the audience.
I tried to buy a DSD remastering of Nils Lofgren’s Acoustic Live album, remastered by Gus Skinas. The transfer did not go through. So I phoned the US based online shop to ask what’s wrong and they told me that they can only sell vinyl, CD’s and redbook CD quality files, but not DSD due to author rights.

That really is a big PITA if you just spent thousands of Euros on DSD capable equipment. Apparently our money is not good enough for the filthy rich managers in the music industry.

The marginally tiny sound improvement (that most of us will never be able to hear) that high res files offer is not worth the trouble and extra cost.

So I have given up on DSD play back equipment. The Redbook CD and vinyl copies of Gus Skinas’s and Cookie Marenco’s music sound extremely well compared or other recordings on CD. On the other hand I am not able to distinguish the Redbook CD copy from the high res DSD file that I bought and paid for also.

Why spend EUR 7500 on a PST (Perfect Wave Super Audio CD transport) for so limited or no benefit?

For Stellar budget, although still no pity money, I would have tried, but there are other threads on the request for a more affordable Stellar SACD transport and the clear message from PS Audio and those who are in the league who can afford to spend EUR 7500 on a transport is clearly no.

The conclusion is that the music industry and audio industry all together are not willing nor prepared to make DSD a main stream product, even for enthousiasts who are willing to fork out Stellar budget.

I enjoy my Redbook CD and vinyl copies of the DSD recorded music as well as good recordings in PCM. It is the skill of the artist, and recording and mastering engineers that matters most to bring across the good music.

2 Likes
143

That may well be so: generally the higher up in price you go the better the product.

For me, it is not so much the SACD functionality of the PS Audio transport that matters, albeit that many recordings of classical music come out in SACD format today (but hybrid in many instances), besides Octave Records. And I agree, to spend thousands of dollars more on a transport for a limited number of SACDs (the vast majority of CDs are Redbook CDs), may perhaps not be a very good idea.

What matters more for me is the elimination of noise from the output digital signal. This however may be defeated somewhat by all the noise that has been found on the PS Audio DSD DAC by Audio Science Review, although I’m not an engineer or technician.

1 Like
144

Unless you have heard “all the noise” reported over at ASR in a DS Sr. in your system, it is my opinion that one can and should ignore “all the noise” over at ASR (at least as far as the DS Sr. is concerned).

:wink:

5 Likes
145

I agree. And let’s not forget also that the PS Audio DSD DAC MK2, will be introduced either at the end of this year or early next year. So even with a trade in, one has to save up now for that.

1 Like
146

To what do you refer, exactly, pray tell?

Thanks in advance.

147

Possibly, the latest iteration of the Mac Mini M1, for example.

148

Well, I read the whole thread.

I hope you get it sorted soon.

I try to be objective regarding such matters and stay out things I don’t really understand. That said, I am not quite sure you have established that the DS Sr. has general compatibility issues with “newer Mac computers”.

Rather, there seems to be some sort of USB configuration issue* specific to your system and a newer Mac Mini.

[*Or, did I misunderstand which digital delivery method you are struggling with?]

Again, I am stretching/speculating a bit because I don’t have all of the details regarding your situation.

It would be nice to know if others here or on other forums have also reported “compatibility issues” with Mac Mini’s and the DS Sr.

Good luck with finding a fix.

149

My impression is as yours, there is some sort of mysterious USB configuration issue which no one has yet to solve. This would be exceedingly frustrating.

i do not recall any one else reporting any problem with a Mac Mini and the DS.

I, too, hope David can find a fix and soon.

150

A guy I know, bought a first generation Mazda CX9 back in the day. His mates kept telling (making noise) him it was a substandard vehicle (distortion) and he should expect nothing but trouble (misinformation). He lost sleep over it till he sold his brand new car, for a loss of course!

1 Like
151

This review of the PS Audio transport on Michael Lavorgna’s Twittering Machines demonstrates why the PST is in all likelihood the better product:

The following observation is made in that review:

“One of the more interesting observations is the absence of noise in digital to analog systems makes music sound more natural, more precise, and more relaxed. And you don’t really know what noise in digital to analog systems sounds like until you’ve not heard it.”

So, I’m genuinely happy for all those who can afford the PST.

4 Likes
152

Also interesting in this same review is his experience that transports sound better than servers.

He compared “serving and the PerfectWave spinning the same album. In the end, I would give the edge to the PS Audio PerfectWave Transport because it offered up a clearer and more precise sound image.”

(The server was a totaldac d1-streamer. He notes “The best network players/streamers I’ve heard are the dCS Network Bridge and totaldac d1-streamer.”)

153

The dCS is on my audition list. They are discontinued now and I am on the hunt for a gently loved, used specimen.

Cheers.

154

I would enjoy hearing it.

I have found streamers to be wonderfully handy, but not as good sounding as a transport. Fortunately, I do not mind using a transport.

I have no trouble believing there are streamers which sound as good, I just have not heard one yet.

Please let us know if you get a change to hear the dCS.

155

Will do…

156

Nobody said that I will be doing away with my PS Audio DSD, and that I’m not happy with its sound. I assure you I will not make any loss.

1 Like
157

As I have mentioned elsewhere, in my system the PSA Ethernet Card (Bridge II) serving locally stored files has tended to best (overall) streaming from the internet AND spinning discs.

The recent addition of a used PSA DMP transport has tightened up the race, so to speak; and I find myself enjoying discs (especially high quality master SACDs) more and more. [This is via the I2S connections, by the way.]

FWIW.

PS

FYI, I have 0 experience with stand alone, black box streamers.

2 Likes
158

LOL, that Mazda dude was extreme, but his mates were both mean and convincing. Now seriously, I used to play music using mConnect (stream) and Naim audio player (digital coaxial) without any issues until I found Roon. The experience was so cool, I got Nucleus+ Second generation (added 2 tb SSD) and that transformed both streaming and playback via Matrix. I was like whoa! It’s like I am listening to my music afresh, or like I just got new pair of ears. I truly hope you overcome all issues and get to enjoy the full potential your DS DAC. It is a wonderful component.

Some other time, I could tell you how I loathed Bridge II and what happened that made me fall in love with it :star_struck:

159

You tease you… :wink:

As a Bridge II fan, I am interested in hearing more about your experience when you decide to share.

Cheers.

2 Likes
160

Interesting observations reflected in this review of the Jay’s Audio MK2 transport:

https://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/jaysaudio/1.html