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"To start with the most basic: Why does a CD player need to include error correction if there aren't any errors to correct? "
So you do not know? Seriously?
Jay's Audio CDT3-MK3 CD transport Page 2
What can it play?
While the CDT3's user manual claims compatibility only with standard CD, CD-R, and CD-RW, I was curious to see if it could play the other types of discs that are supposed to be playable on a regular CD player. In addition to a few CD-Rs and CD-RWs I had burned several years ago on my Alesis Masterlink, I tried a handful of hybrid SACDs to see if reading the CD layer might cause difficulties, and I tried the CD side on a couple of DualDiscs. Because they are double sided, DualDiscs are slightly thicker than standard CDs, which can cause loading problems with some transports, but the CDT3 handled them all without skipping a beat.
In fact, the only time I did encounter skipping it was with a standard CD. When I stopped the player and inspected the disc closely, I found a big crack, which ran from the spindle hole to about 0.25" into the data area. Even with that much damage, the CDT3 was able to read the disc's table of contents and play the later tracks without a problem (footnote 4).
Listening
Fifty years ago, Linn founder Ivor Tiefenbrun proclaimed that the source was the most important component in any system because once you screw things up there, it doesn't matter how good the rest of your equipment is: It will never recover what was lost at the start. He was talking about analog—turntables—but I feel there is still validity to that thinking with digital sources.
Asking someone to describe the sound of a CD transport feels a bit like asking a sommelier to describe the taste of a wine decanter, but careful listening does reveal real, clear differences. When the digital stream is better, the sound gains focus and solidity; once you've heard it, it's impossible to ignore it.
Playing "Manhã do Carnaval" from The Three (East Wind 35JD-1), there was a clear improvement in resolution resulting in a better defined and more spacious soundstage with the CDT3 over the AN CDT2. Curiously, engaging the 4× upsampler enhanced this effect a bit more, while fleshing out the harmonic tonal color of Ray Brown's bass and Joe Sample's piano. Normally I find enhancements like digital upsamplers to be a mixed bag, often preferring the straight poop over the embellished product, but the Jay's upsampler seems to offer a genuine improvement.
In the past, I have described how I believe a system is better judged by its ability to play poor recordings than good ones. If your system is narrowing your music selections because it's "too good," in my opinion you're going in the wrong direction. For example, nobody would put Julian Cope's 1991 album Peggy Suicide (Island CID9977) on a list of reference records, but the way it sounds can tell us a lot about a system. Starting with a CD transport like the CDT3 helps you to hear around the recording and make a connection with the music making rather than the sound. On the song "Promised Land," the raw and unvarnished quality of Cope's vocals and guitar is easily heard, despite the sound being kind of compressed and bright.
Peter Gabriel's sixth album, Us, on the other hand, is a carefully thought-out recording. I still wouldn't call it audiophile sound, but it will certainly wake up your system. Played on the CDT3, the enhanced focus it delivers brings a sumptuousness and ease to the sound that makes you want to keep listening instead of hitting the next-track button.
Conclusions
Distributor Alvin Chee says that the goal is to minimize costs by eliminating as many middlemen as possible, and because shipping 50lb CD transports around the world is expensive, Jay's Audio doesn't currently offer any kind of a return policy. It does come with a one-year comprehensive warranty that covers you in the unlikely case of product failure or shipping damage, but you'd better be pretty sure that this is what you want, because they don't offer a refund if you simply decide that it's not the right product for you. While that doesn't leave the buyer with a lot of options, Jay's Audio explains that this is how they are able to keep the price as reasonable as it is, and to be fair, going strictly by parts content and build quality alone, the CDT3 is an undeniable bargain. Just an NOS CD-Pro2LF drive on its own sells on the sharp side of $1000 these days.
It's also true that both Jay's Audio and Denafrips have been operating under this same policy for years, and the vast majority of their customers appear to be thrilled with their purchases. So maybe it's just my baby boomer expectations that make me a little more wary about committing to a big-ticket purchase from the other side of the world shipped sight unseen.
The good news for you is that I have seen it, and heard it, and can report that the Jay's Audio CDT3-MK3 is a truly exceptional way to play your CD collection.
Footnote 4: CDs are read from the inside out.
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COMMENTS
$5K and a one year warranty?
Submitted by jimtavegia on May 5, 2023 - 1:47pm
I understand the reason some spinners may sound better than others and why this improved when DACs started having RAM buffers and sending out the bits when needed. The idea of a very stable clock is important and why many use an external clock with more accuracy. I think a lot of this has gone away with the latest in DAC technology.
I always look at JA's jitter measurements as do most readers of Stereophile I would think. And with just this device, you still can't listen to anything.
To read the past reviews of what can be heard by some and not by others is always interesting. These differences can be traced to music listened to, the choice of speakers and electronics, the room, and the DAC used. This device coming from China with only a one-year warranty would be a deal breaker for me.
I am so outraged I decided to register
Submitted by Mad Murray on May 5, 2023 - 2:23pm
"To start with the most basic: Why does a CD player need to include error correction if there aren't any errors to correct? "
I am with @Nyquist on this and I am sure Mr. Reed and Mr. Solomon are also outraged.
If this is the qualty of reviewer that Stereophile employs its time they shut up shop
And who was the Editor that allowed this nonsense to get published.
Regards
Mad (as in crazy) Murray
You should google "rhetorical question"....
Submitted by MatthewT on May 5, 2023 - 2:49pm
It would save you some outrage in the future, and also keep you from looking like a moron.
If thats the spin you want to put on it...
Submitted by Mad Murray on May 5, 2023 - 3:02pm
its maybe more sarcastic than rhetorical.
Anyways, its all good fun whether its moronic or not.
And after resisting posting on this forum for maybe 20 years, I think I will retire on this high note.
Regards,
Mad (as in Moron) Murray
Hard to tell....
Submitted by MatthewT on May 5, 2023 - 3:10pm
Without the emoticon. My apologies if appropriate.
I know there is a /S for sarcasm...
Submitted by Mad Murray on May 5, 2023 - 3:22pm
but not sure about a /R for rhetorical.
Anyways we could both be wrong...maybe the author could clarify.
Regards,
Mad (as in Malcontent) Murray
Outrage
Submitted by Jason Victor Serinus on May 5, 2023 - 6:33pm
My goodness. People got so upset that I went back to read the review. And there it is, plain as day
"But if there's one thing we've learned over 40 years of improving CD playback, it's that the format really isn't perfect at all. To start with the most basic: Why does a CD player need to include error correction if there aren't any errors to correct?"
Is it necessary to put some of these words in capital letters or bold (or both) in order for someone to understand what Alex is saying?
Everyone makes errors when they read something, especially when it's online and they're scrolling away. (That's where subscribing to the print magazine helps.) Nonetheless, given how many things in the world deserve our outrage right now, wouldn't it be best to read something twice before pulling the trigger and declaring, "If this is the qualty of reviewer that Stereophile employs its time they shut up shop. / And who was the Editor that allowed this nonsense to get published."
jason
Dude...
Submitted by Mad Murray on May 5, 2023 - 11:31pm
I was yanking Stereophile's chain... obviously understanding sarcasm isnt your thing.
But I will conceded that the use of the term "outraged" and "editor" in combination is a British comedic construct so maybe thats why you missed it..noting I am not British.
Anyways been fun dipping my toes into your tepid pool.
Regards,
Mad (as in Mental) Murray
As an aside..
Submitted by Mad Murray on May 6, 2023 - 12:09am
..this is why I basically dont participate in online forums.
I am by breeding an extremely sarcastic person and as such its delivery generally gets lost in translation on the interwebs and sticking a "/s" on the end kinda defeats the purpose. People either get it or they dont.
Sayonara Dear Friend.
Mad Murray
According to the results of comparison tests ...
Submitted by Ortofan on May 5, 2023 - 8:58pm
... presented in the following video (starting at 18:00), the listening panel at Pearl Acoustics was unable to distinguish between a modern CD transport and the digital outputs of several CD players. The conclusion was that any audible differences between the group of digital players were solely attributable to the DAC section - the DAC chip itself and/or the following analog circuitry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAOLGsS27R0
Not my experience
Submitted by Jason Victor Serinus on May 5, 2023 - 9:15pm
Both transport and DAC section matter. Do I want to debate? Are you kidding?
jason
Pearl states that their comparisons were performed ...
Submitted by Ortofan on May 5, 2023 - 9:46pm
... blind and with the output levels matched.
Do you do the same?
cognoscente
Submitted by cognoscente on May 6, 2023 - 2:24am
The "eternal" debate among my audio buddies, does a CD sound (real and substantial) better than streaming? Or does a movie on a 4k blu-ray disc look (real and substantial) better than streaming. And if so, does it outweigh the inconvenience of a CD and DVD and ease of streaming? And then I'm not even talking about the difference in costs and the ability to stream (or buy and download as in my case) single tracks and making your own playlists instead of the obligation of buying an entire and fixed CD. I have a large CD collection as well as a DVD collection, I have certainly not played CDs for more than 5 years, DVD for almost 1 year. (I buy all my music in full uncompressed AIFF files and use my iPhone (which I already have) as storage, everything stored in the Onkyo HF Player app for Hi-Res output via a usb cable and that works just fine for me instead of a expensive Aurender of Silent Angel or whatever ssd-storage).
rhetorical
Submitted by geoffrey vanhouwaert on May 6, 2023 - 4:43am
hello,
English isn't even my native language but it was clearly a rhetorical question. Common guys.
best regards
Geoff
I know JA1 is a very busy fellow, but
Submitted by jimtavegia on May 6, 2023 - 11:28am
I would love for him to take jitter measurements from a CD/DVD drive like the LG's we use USB in our two computers, my wife's and mine. I use mine for pulling in tracks off of CDs to look at them in my DAW. I would love to know from a affordable ($39) drive into a quality DAC what the worst case would be in jitter measurements? Certainly, measurable as anything else he does so well. Always curious.
In terms of this "CD reader" I am guessing one does an analysis as to what the market is lacking and works to design something that fits that niche. The other issue is statistical sampling when it comes to product quality...pulling every one, two, or three out of a 100 off the line and see if they work properly is not the right thing to do at this price point. Is there any burn-in time specified? This is where the customer becomes part of the QC department at a steep price.
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