I have just installed the Transporter last week in my system. I am looking to replace the redbook capability of my modded tubed Modwright Denon 3910 (likely keep it for hirez, though) with something that gives me all the obvious advantages of hd-based playback (convenience, clutter-reduction, etc.). However, it is imperative that this step is a step forward, sonically. I am eval'ing the TP because I know that, in my system, the accompanying SB3 stock will not cut it in the sonically-equivalent department, but a RWA or Bolder modded SB3 might just be the ticket.
My system is very highly resolving, but with a tendency to get to strident if I don't watch out. My Krell KSA-100 is the original (read: highly-regarded, not the later cold, analytical ones) version of that Class A beast and is, IMO, difficult to fault in some favorite areas (iron-gripped bass control, dynamics, quietness). But it's tendency toward midrange ice requires me to feed it vacuum tubes. My front end is a tubed universal and analog vinyl fed into a Modwright tubed SWL 9.0 SE linestage. As an aside, when I recently eval'd the vaunted Moscode 401HR it's warmth and midrange bloom was too much for my front-end, so I'm happy with the balance right now. My main speakers are RSA's new Sason mega-monitors, and the lowest registers are augmented by a Paradigm Servo 15 room EQ'd by the Velodyne SMS-1. The Sason's are electron microscopes into the soundstage, and I like that. Enter the TP. I'm using FLAC album sized files with cue sheets, and sending FLAC across the wireless network. No dropouts yet, although I'm completely open to going wired if needed.
To paraphrase the latest 6 Moons review about computer audio, the insertion of the TP was one of remarkable clarity, unsurpassed levels of information, powerful bass, reference level dynamic performance and excellent transparency. This TP does very many things very very well!! Most of this is likely due to the superiority of the AKM dacs and the supposed superiority of the lower jitter due to hard-disc playback. The main criticism I have is there is some major stridency in the upper midrange and treble, and that on lesser recordings it's quite problematic. I'm not sure how much of this will "break-out" of the system as it breaks-in (I am a firm believer in break-in of components, although I've read very little discussion about the evolution of the TP break-in process here or anywhere). My modded 3910 is no slouch, and to compare it's near-SOTA vacuum-based midrange buttery smoothness (even though it's not a tube rec'd power supply yet) to the TP is looking/listening in only one aspect of the solution...but an important one. Update: after about two weeks of listening and constant burn-in, it still just doesn;t sound musical. it's way too analytical and bereft of midrange weight and necessary air and bloom. It's great food without the right spices.
This week a new contender arrived. I bought a slightly max'd out RedWine modded SB3 (battery power, analog and digital mods, etc). Last night, after playing the RW-SB3 for a couple nights, I synched up both players, calibrated the volumes (TP needed 5.5 db attenuation) and had an audio buddy over to somewhat blindly test the sonics. The net is that there is a significant preference for the RW-SB3 on both our aprts, due to the better synergy with my system. Nothing is lost expect for a slight attenuation in the lowest registers (maybe 1-2db at 20hz or so...dunno), and the strenths are a much better balanmce of weight and midrange bloom, without being too thick or syrupy. Both players excel at dynamics and noise floor, with the TP losing nothing to the off-the-grid Sb3. But heck, for $600 vs $2k, and a great platform for even better sonics (via a tube dac down the road) I am hooked.
One interesting note - we demo'd both players going straight into the Krell, bypassing the Modwright pre, and wow...what a drop in the already black noise floor. Music just began! It's not like it popped out of the dark and then disappeared, it just naturally began and then decayed into thin air. Now don't get me wrong, the bottom-end wasn't there (no sub integration), the sound was a bit clinical (but not bad) and the midrange needed those vacuum tubes for a bit more weight, but other than that it was music reproduction and dynamics like I've never heard. My conclusion is: I need a pre due to all my switching and various source needs (SACD, DVD-A, vinyl, home theater bypass, etc)...but I just might take a very serious look at the Bent/Music First TAP passive TVC. If it doesn't cut it, then Dan's new LS 36.5 is my next stop.
Net/net, although the TP is going back to Slim Devices, the RW-SB3, and computer audio in general, is here to stay, in my system at least. The sound, the convenience, the lack of clutter, the selection, the comfort, the technology, the seemingly effortless presentation....it's all there!
Ted
