The quick summary for this newly installed piece is that it is a more than worthy consideration whether you are in the PSA/SACD camp or not. This player will replace the Jay’s CDT3-MK3, and that unit had stepped in for the last PSA transport.
I was quite happy with the Jay’s and felt no downside having a Redbook only player hooked up to the MU2. My SACD only library is modest and others (like Donald) may see a greater need. But, at the time, the Jay’s simply sounded better. Quality of the recording still overshadows choice of format.
For much the same reasons that I liked the Jay’s over the older PSA transport, I now like in the PMG player. It just sounds, I hate to say, less digital. Quiet and calm are immediately noticeable with instruments positioned in a more definitive space. Those instruments also seem just more natural and inviting. Bass got slightly more extended and tightened (wasn’t expecting that) and the top has a bunch more air.
For those of you who have read my comments on the PMG DAC and Pre, it may seem that I am dredging up the same descriptions. Guilty as charged. I don’t think that these units have a “house sound” but rather any unit that moves the bar should not leave a part of it behind. I had no “wait…but” moments. When it’s all good, it’s good.
Sounds like a PSA synergy thing going on… Since I’m not interested in sacd… I will not be looking for a Jays Audio CDT3 MK3 replacement any time soon,if ever. Feeding my Diablo 300 dac… the the sound is plain gorgeous!
I have loads of SACDs and I have the previous PS Audio player. I would gladly upgrade to one of the limited number of this PMG version. . . but I can’t even consider funding it this decade or probably not even next. Which is okay–I deeply enjoy my current transport daily.
I hope the “limited” PSA SACD transport will not be like the Stealth Sakra 17 that has 100 sets “per year”
You are pushing me to get one. But it will be next year since I am gone three weeks during early Dec. plus Delia did not get back to my email still (2nd). Back to hitting wet balls.
I think limited in this case means “when it’s gone it’s gone” due to the end of SACD drive manufacturing. Didn’t they buy all the drives that were left? I think they even stated the amount of drives they bought.
That’s quite an accomplishment as the Jay’s CDT3 Mk3 is an excellent Redbook only player at a reasonable price. Will you be trading your Jay’s in against the PMG or keeeping it as a back-up? More curious than anything.
The Jay’s is wonderful, as stated. I feel the sonic bump enough to justify cost differential between the units. The addition of being able to play the SACD layer was icing on the cake. It was not my motivation, just a feature now that I have an I2S DAC.
If the MU2 was here, the Jay’s would stay. The chassis and component build is stellar. I took a chance on the PMGT being as good as its brothers and I was pleased with the results. To put it in perspective, the biggest jumps in sound I’ve heard have come from the MU2, PZ, and Stealth Sakra V17LE. All other purchases of late…PMG 512/Pre/SACD, Stealth power cords (3 versions), Stealth speaker cables, Tempus…all made things better, but to a lesser extent. Unfortunately, the biggest bumps garnered the highest costs.
So, if I like it, I keep it…provided the juice is worth the squeeze, as they say.
I received my PMG Signature SACD Transport a week ago. Right out of the box opening/closing the tray sounds like cheap bottom dollar drive. Clunky crackling both directions. I’ve emailed, called support with no response yet. Has anyone else encountered this problem? Not what I’m expecting from a $9k piece of equipment. I tried to attach a video display the sound but the mic file is not allowed. Am I expecting too much? What do others think?
That doesn’t sound good. The drawer you’re referring to is a beautiful piece of hardware so I am confused as to what’s happening. Can you let us know? Who have you reached out to?
I have two systems, one with a Vitus integrated at its heart. The other is fully PSAudio from the player to the dac, the preamp, and then the 1200 amps. I heard slight but definite improvement in both systems, which I attributed to the new SACD player. The new preamp came more recently and clearly upped the system significantly. It was as if several veils had been lifted between me and the players. About six months ago I attended a concert in the rehabilitated hall at Lincoln Center. I just could not believe what I was hearing. The orchestral sounds, playing the Shostakovich’s 5th symphony, were unbelievably clean and powerful, especially the mids and upper frequencies. I went home and played the same symphony on my system. (This was before the new components were received and installed.) It lacked the power and resolution that I heard in the concert hall. Now, up to date with the new equipment (in both systems, telling me that my Vitus integrated is that good) I am hearing something close to wheat i heard in the concert hall. Turning up the volume and with really good recordings the sound is so very much like my memories of what I heard at Lincoln Center.The new equipment ups the ability of the system to a new level. And the PSAudio Aspen speakers, 30s in one system and 20s in the other are so good that they can easily display the improved signal coming from the new equipment. Congrats to Paul and the staff that contributed to the designing and making of the new equipment.
