If you own 100s or 1,000s of CDs you need this: Leak CD Transport

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Since it keeps coming up: ALL CD players have built-in digital to analog converters (DACs), CD transports do not.

[@VisciousHippo]

Sometimes streamers have DACs and sometimes they dont. Some amplifiers have DACs too. There are things called network players as well. Which I think do exactly the same as most (all?) streamers... There are also "music streaming players". And what might they be exactly? This is the marketing spiel for the Naim Unity, whcih is a streamer/DAC/Amp. The industry doesn't always make things clear and buyer-friendly...

[@patmccormick396]

If one wanted to buy a CD transporter, what DAC would you recommend. I currently have a Cambridge audio CD player with built in DAC but I’m considering a CD transport. Your channel is awesome.

[@rosssmith8481]

What would be the point of a transport if your CDS are stored on a hard drive?

[@rosssmith8481]

@GeneralCurtis3LeMay well. Let me explain. If I rip the CD to a hard drive, all I need is the 1's and 0's to stream off the drive through a tosslink or coaxial to my DAC. The question then begs, are the 1's and 0's better quality on a CD player or off a hard drive. Because to me 0's and 1's are 0's and 1's.

[@mikemcguinness1304]

Love your channel Steve. What are your thoughts on a system of a rega p6, rega brio, and quad S2 speakers. I. Getting into hifi analogue system after a 7 year break. Any speaker suggestions?

[@mikrophonie5633]

Better to buy a CD once than to rent your music in perpetuity. That's assuming the renting/streaming service still has the license for the music, and part of your rented/streamed "collection" doesn't disappear. No one can take my CD collection from me, but people who rent/stream their music can have parts of their "collection" disappear at any moment.

[@jonathansturm4163]

I’ve had about a dozen CDs become unplayable without showing any signs of being abused so I’m not so sure about only needing to buy them once. RIP and replicate once is forever. I have a rotating backup of all my music on standard hard drives and read/write them with an Icy Box that occupies a drive bay in my PC. The working copy is a pocket hard drive.

[@rsolsjo]

99% is not going anywhere, and IF something disappears you can always replace it with high quality files (in Roon for instance).

[@mikrophonie5633]

@@jonathansturm4163 You must have scratched them, CDs don't become unplayable for no reason. And hard drives are much more likely to fail than CDs.

[@mikrophonie5633]

@@rsolsjo I don't have to worry about anything going anywhere, or replacing anything, because I actually own the music.

[@jonathansturm4163]

@@mikrophonie5633 No sign of abuse does NOT equal scratched. I’m not that stupid. John Darko says it’s due to certain chemicals in the laquer eating the aluminium layer beneath. I’m not the only victim of this phenomenon.

[@johnz4860]

I remember reading in the press back in 2005 that CDs would last about three years the most. Well, we are in 2021 and CDs are still here. They may not be as visible as they were with all those large record stores, people buy them online. I started buying CDs in 1986 (yes, 1986) and the funny thing is that I now buy more CDs (I order two or three on ebay every single Friday evening ) than ever before.

[@jonathansturm4163]

Well I remember the publicity saying they would play “perfectly” and “forever without wearing out” and neither of those turned out to be true!

[@johnz4860]

@@jonathansturm4163 I have some 2,400 CDs and only one bought in 1991 (Argerch/ Kremer Beethoven, violin and piano sonatas Deutsche Grammophon) does not play properly. Not bad by any account: 1 in 2,400!

[@ΣεραφείμΑποστολάκος]

Me too. Buying cds since '94, never faced a let down.

[@jonathansturm4163]

@@johnz4860 The layer of laquer/printer’s ink that protects the aluminium layer can apparently fail. It’s entirely possible that substances on the hands of the owner could play a role. Had a client whose computer keyboard would lose most of the labels on the keycaps of her keyboard. Only took three or four months! We decided it was her excessive use of hand lotion. Back in those dim and distant days computer storage was on floppy disk and disks that were fine in a temperate climate would fail quite quickly in Far North Queensland/Northern Territory due to high atmospheric temps and humidity. They had to use specially treated disks to overcome the problem. Environment is important.

[@jonathansturm4163]

@@ΣεραφείμΑποστολάκος I was most impressed by the Empire Brass Quintet on the Stereophile CD and ordered their album. I successfully ripped all but the last track with EAC in highest quality mode. No software would recognise the last track (using three different DVD/CD drives), though it played in my Rotel CD player fine and my no-name DVD player. I had to make an analog recording and digitise that! As I said I have approximately 2,000 CDs and the vast majority have not been problematic.

[@davidmblumenstein]

LEAK is no longer LEAK. The brand exists ONLY in name, much like the other brands that IAG Ltd. in China (International Audio Group) have co-opted: LEAK, QUAD, AUDIOLAB, WHARFEDALE, CASTLE, MISSION, to name a few, there are others but these are some of the more notable. IAG acquires the brands and then trots out products, which in some cases, recycle existing model names where the designs bare little resemblance to the original, and if there exists any similarity, it is at best superficial. If folks want to go ahead and buy these products, that’s up to them, but they should know that they are not buying what they think/believe in terms of brand name, history and reputation.

[@nasskhan4543]

I bought IAG Leak, Wharfdale & Audiolab in recent years. In the UK its very well priced & very happy .Btw I have owned original Audiolab & Quad & it compares very well . Yes its built in Chi na but most electronics inside components are built there anyway.

[@davidmblumenstein]

@@nasskhan4543 You miss the point entirely. The brands are no longer maintained by their original entities. The name has been purchased and co-opted. If you like what you have purchased, that's great on you. And my concern is not that the companies are now Chinese and that the gear is made in China, but rather that they are trading off the back and reputation of historic, celebrated brands. That's it. #caveatemptor. #letthebuyerbeware

[@nasskhan4543]

@@davidmblumenstein David . As it happens the design team is based in Uk & its manufactured in China . I am fully aware of that & I am sure many people are as well. What gear do you own out of interest.

[@davidmblumenstein]

@@nasskhan4543 The companies are no longer owned and operated by those who built the companies/brands from the ground-up. IF, what you say is any part true that they have indeed maintained design staff that in some manner maintain a connection, a history with the brand directly that's something which IAG should be highlighting. As for you being fully aware and many others being aware of such conjecture, if you're content that's fine, as for the others that's up to them. Apart from that my gear in various systems both present and vintage: System 1: VPI, California Audio Labs, Audio Note, Musical Surroundings, SW1X, Pass Labs, AccuSound, Studio Electric System 2: McIntosh MAC 1700, Mission 727, Dual 1229. (all vintage) System 3: Audio Note. i-Zero, CD Zero, AX-Two System 4: Tandberg TR200, Nakamichi 500, Mission 700, Philips GA 212 (all vintage) System 5: Luxman L430, Celestion DL6 (all vintage) except for iFi NEO iDSD DAC & Stack Audio Link 2 network transport System 6: Bel Canto Designs s300 i/u, Celestion DL4 (vintage), Pecan Pi network transport A mix of products from all over. All of the vintage gear. McIntosh receiver, Mission 727 & 700 speakers, Dual 1229 turntable, Philips GA 212 turntable, Tandberg TR200 receiver, Nakamichi 500 tape deck, Luxman L430 integrated, Celestion DL6 speakers, Celestion DL4 speakers are ALL authentic. ALL of it is in WORKING condition, can be powered up and put into service at the drop of a ... I trust this answers your question

[@jonathansturm4163]

@@nasskhan4543 You are correct. Technically, high-end Chines manufacture is every bit as good as in the West if not better. We used to see a lot of Chinese come here to southern Tasmania to become engineers. We still do, but far fewer in number. China now has enough highly qualified engineers to train them at home. I have regular contact with several Chinese who have settled locally and they keep up to date with what’s happening in their homeland. Good friend visiting this morning translate poetry betwixt Chinese and English and usually spends half her working year there.

[@rabit818]

Oh dear, a new CD player in 2021! I love CDs, no cleaning and fussing about. I also love LPs.

[@johnz4860]

And the way things are going there will be new CD players in 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.... I have been hearing about the death of CD since 2005 and look, here we are, still buying NEW Cds on ebay in 2021!

[@rabit818]

@@johnz4860 Same here, I just got Prince megagigantic Sign o The Times box set on CD

[@tonydeniro284]

Same with the death of vinyl lol! Now look what's happened...vinyl through the roof!

[@heribertovalentin1563]

@@tonydeniro284 I love Lps but the prices for this new one step releases are expensive and limited pressings....this is going to kill vinyl buyers....so these companies better be careful....or its greed like always....💵💵💵

[@NoEgg4u]

I have had it up to here with organizing and sometimes losing my CDs. So I ripped them all into lossless digital files, and stream them to my DAC via my laptop's USB port and organized via JRiver's Media Center. Media Center is versatile almost to a fault. You can organize and rearrange and sort and filter and program and on and on, just about anything you can think of, with Media Center. No more getting up and down to change CDs. No more misplacing CDs, or worrying about scratching them or getting finger-prints on them, etc. I have found that as long as you dedicate your computer's USB port, such that its controller does nothing other than stream bit-perfect data to your DAC, via a quality USB cable, the sound quality is outstanding. Not as good as some high-end transports. But still excellent, and not expensive. And with CDs, you cannot demo them to check their sound quality (prior to purchase). And just like vinyl, the sound quality on CDs vary wildly, from CD to CD and from song to song. With on-line digital purchases that offer 30 second demos, you can make informed decisions as far as from which album you want to purchase a song. The same song from the same recording session is often available on an original release, a re-master, a re-re-master, a greatest hits, an anthology, and any number of compilations. And that same song will sound different from one to the next, presumably because the studios keep screwing with the sound quality, and sadly get it wrong most of the time. But with the demos, you have a fighting chance at not wasting your $$ on purchases that sound sub-par, and you can organize your digital files, and you can easily back up your files, and never have to worry about losing anything. Some CDs do sound great. But there is no way to know without paying for it first.

[@homerjones3291]

I came across something strange the other day. I have two CD copies of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours - one’s a little scuffed and other was not. I put the scuffed one in and it seemed to be lacking dynamics, clarity. The second one I put in sounded much better (but not as good as my Node 2 streamer). I was using a Cambridge Audio CXC transport, which I’ve found to be unforgiving with CDs that are not pristine, into a Denafrips Ares II.

[@robertwisker2760]

I also have the JRiver. Love it!! A man after my own heart!!

[@hdgboy]

I’ve always thought that The Soft Parade was one of their best albums. Morrison’s vocals on Shaman’s Blues is so passionate. Incredible. The band is really tight and powerful.

[@TNPFan]

Just when I thought I had already purchased my last CD player/transport. And you probably thought you were no longer selling stereo gear. Keep it coming!

[@cheapaudioman]

I've been telling folks to get on ebay and buy as many cds as they can find before people figure it out and the prices go back up. Great review, Steve!

[@auggysimcity]

Prices will only increase with sacd, or out of print cds.

[@SoCalFreelance]

I keep telling myself one of these days I'll catalog my entire CD collection 😆 The good news is it's now easier than ever to do so. There are a number of smartphone apps that allow you to use your phones camera to scan in the CD's UPC which automatically links to databases so all the details are recorded on your phone.

[@justanobody4983]

Cds are awesome. I just started cd collecting and just have around 30 cds. Bought a Cambridge cxc and ditched all my flac and dsd. Now just buying around 10-15 cds a month and its just so cheap getting used cds and enjoying every moment of it.

[@andyanderson3352]

I agree I absolutely love the compact disc, the new CDs that are new sound in my opinion better than vinyl.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

Yep, a properly mastered CD is better than vinyl in every way.

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

My best sounding vinyl blows away my best sounding CDs.

[@ralex3697]

@@crazyprayingmantis5596 Agree

[@ΣεραφείμΑποστολάκος]

Agree. Switched to cds in the early 90s and never looked back. Pops, clicks and cartridges sound to me as alienated as a stone era documentary

[@tonydeniro284]

Vinyl is still supreme if you know what you are buying. Stay away from the current reissues prevalent on line and in dept stores! Look for very good + or better vintage vinyl/original pressings, way way better. If you want to learn go and read tom ports blogs over at better records. There is no way a cd compares to a well pressed original vinyl pressing. This Is coming from someone who also loves CD's and sacd's.

[@patterrana1581]

In the last month I've grabbed roughly 100 cds from local thrift shops for a dollar to fifty cents each. This year has been all about the media for me, if I like it enough, ill get the LP.

[@robertdavis5714]

Yes, it was 1994 and I had to move because home was destroyed in Northridge EQ. I think I had about 300 LP's in milk crates and I said I am sick of moving this weight and gave all of them away, granted I had my experience enough with distortion with a needle on a plastic grove. Long live the CD.

[@1mctous]

The selection, quality, and pricing of used LP's drove me to buy a turntable in 2016. It will eventually do the same for a CD transport.

[@davidsagarra9841]

I have a 3,500 CD collection and still growing. I have never thought in getting rid of them...

[@sbrazenor2]

People knock physical collections of media, but I believe everyone should keep a library of the things they enjoy. If my internet connection was cut off, I have literally years of content - be it TV shows, movies, music, books, etc. I keep terabytes of content archived and download massive swaths of it when I can so that if there's an issue connecting outside my house, I have everything I need inside of it. What I also like about the CDs is that they don't get interrupted by some notification system. Sure, I can turn off my phone's connections, but sometimes you just want to sit back and listen and not be interrupted - while simultaneously not being cut off from the world. A CD also stops me from skipping around and scrolling around the way that I end up doing when I'm listening to streaming or app based systems. I feel the same way about vinyl. Its physical limitations are the thing that really make it an experience. Just getting up to flip or change the record is actually a good feature, because you're not just passively listening to music like noise in the background. You get a deeper enjoyment, I find, and really get into the music.

[@seankelly6461]

Yeah im at 2200 or so...not going anywhere

[@Amfibios]

@@sbrazenor2 i hear ya mate, but i don't necessarily agree. unless you're planning to cheap on your ISP bills or to go off the grid, your internet will never be cut off for a significant amount of time - let alone for years. if there's a war, you won't have electricity either so that's pointless and you'd probably have bigger issues to worry about. about the notifications interrupting your music, you don't have to play it from your phone, just like you have a dedicated cd player, you can get a device to play your music on, i just stream mine from my plex server or from heos directly to my avr and i only use my phone as a remote. i agree about being more involved with the physical media though. if you like music, you're gonna get more enjoyment out of it like that, than pressing a button.

[@mymomsyoutubeaccount4408]

Hi David Sagarra I have around 2500 cds & I was looking to get rid of hundreds of them, I was wondering if you or anyone else on this post would be interested in acquiring them, I used to actually just like collecting cds regardless of the music, now I just have them in storage. So if you or anyone is interested ,post another reply here. M L K

[@seankelly6461]

@@mymomsyoutubeaccount4408 what are you selling

[@snuffpappy]

Love my CDs... sound quality wise and I still like having the physical product for song list, art work, credits etc. $2 each at Value Village. Its like a little treasure hunt and I'll always grab another 3-6 titles each visit.

[@sbrazenor2]

I sometimes gamble a bit and buy bulk orders of 100+ CDs for $16-18 and that's interesting because you get things you've never heard of, but may enjoy. I also go to thrift shops and flea markets and score tons of albums relatively cheaply. I like CDs, but I think the original retail prices are way too high.

[@sbrazenor2]

@GeneralCurtis3LeMay I'd have to dig a bit to find a specific album or several for that particular issue. The point that I was making is that you can get CDs dirt cheap in a bunch of different ways. Because they're dirt cheap, you don't mind if half of them are things you don't like, because there are enough for so little that you can afford a few that aren't great. One example, which you may or may not like was Ice-T's foray into rock/metal with Body Count. I hadn't even been away that was a thing, but incidentally came across an album from them in a bulk lot. While I enjoy it, by the way, you may not. It's just an example. Sometimes they're just albums of artists I already like, but not the ones I had. Sometimes they're albums from bands or artists I had heard about, but previous hadn't gotten around to buying or listening to. It's a grab bag, essentially, so when you buy bulk you have no idea what's in the lot. As for specifics, let's say I was to mention 10 albums, but they're all artists you may not like, or genres you may not have interest in - then you'll assume there's nothing that good in the pile. If you were to also hear a bunch of albums / artists you know about, you'll assume I live under a rock because I'm not aware of these artists.. (There's a lot of music that's been released in the past 50-70 years and none of us knows all of it; we're also a product of our age, demographics, and lived experiences.) If you want to see what I'm talking about, go to eBay and search for 'assorted CDs', 'bulk CDs', or 'CD lots'. They also do the same with DVDs, if you're into movies and want to get a grab bag lot of those. (In fact, I got a copy of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai in a CD lot - because it's somewhat randomly packed.) BTW - I don't sell lots, so I'm not trying to push something that makes me money. Just an idea that gets you lots of CDs for very little money.

[@Hare_deLune]

@@sbrazenor2 Don't waste your time with 'General Malaise'. He is a troll.

[@sbrazenor2]

@@Hare_deLune Troll or not, sometimes the trolls do needle for a point that might be helpful to someone else through elaboration. I sometimes respond to the trolls for that reason. It's really funny when they think they're getting some kind of emotional response from me, since I generally lack an emotional response in general - and less for situations where I'm conversing about random topics with strange anonymous people. I do like to engage, if I have nothing better to do, so it's not a problem. If KZbin (and the internet by extension) didn't have trolls, there would be barely anyone to talk to. LOL :-D

[@jonathansturm4163]

@@sbrazenor2 “I think the original retail prices are way too high” The last full-price mass-market CD I purchased was Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scott’s. The CD was nearly three time the price of the DVD and had fewer tracks!

[@gregorypatton360]

My weekend decompression activity is to go thrifting for music. I find an lp here and there but i always come home with piles of cds. I recently found the soundtracks for akira and the ghost in the darkness at a local church thrift store.

[@revolutronic]

akira soundtrack NICE FIND!!!

[@toblerone1704]

WHAT

[@sebastianpolcyn6358]

Akira OST on CD? Damn, what I'd pay for this!

[@gregorypatton360]

@@sebastianpolcyn6358 its one ive been looking for since the 90s and its as good as i hoped it would be.

[@nesutoneko]

You and Darko been pushing CD's lately! I gave away my CD collection in 2009 but I've been thinking about getting a cd transport lately. I like the idea of buying CD's of albums that are not available to stream and I don't mind rebuilding a CD library very slowly. On the fence about waiting for the upcoming Schiit transport or picking up an Audiolab 6000CDT. Thanks Steve!

[@stimpy1226]

I still love my Wadia CD player after 25 years of listening pleasure. My collection of CDs is well over 2000 right now but that doesn’t mean that I prefer this format over records. It’s all in the quality of the recording.

[@RafaelHEscobar]

Thanks for the video. Didn't know that these devices existed at all... I have a collection of a bit more than 100 CDs, and even though I use streaming services I love the idea of sitting down away from the screen with my booklet at hand to read the lyrics from the music I love to hear. I use an old LG CD/DVD receiver that has worked fine, but in two months will get a Marantz M-CR612 that will play along with my pair of Pro-ject Box 5 speakers that were my very first audiophile purchase from 3 years ago. So... that is what will work for me for a very long time until I decide to make an upgrade starting (again) with the speakers as you kindly suggested in one of your videos.

[@leemichaelgeller4420]

Steve, you had me when you said you straddled the formats. I personally have no problem with CD's; love my old and NEW vinyl (as long as the pressings aren't crap) and even like the lossless formats as well. Simply put, I enjoy having a PHYSICAL copy/hard copy of media. That just makes me happy!

[@ianjohnson1249]

I was born in 95, so a CD kid. My only and last physical music media

[@NateEll]

The Soft Parade has been a fave of mine for more than 40 years

[@bizyz]

excellent review of the leak cd player which helps keep the torch burning for owners of cd players and collectors of compact discs. if elvis were still here today,he would have the leak transport in his bedroom system at graceland.

[@nasskhan4543]

I know I have written a few times but this message is for people who are in the market for a cdt transport. Audition it & try it out. I took the plunge and bought it. I am more than happy with it. Lots of people giving their opinion regarding where Leak products are manufactured etc but I can assure you that my Leak/Wharfedale system sounds superb & is worth the money. Btw anyone thinking that buying a cd player from Uk, Usa, Sweeden etc think that every single part is made from that country of origin are naive. Most electronics are sourced from Far East . I want to point out I dont work or represent Iag but I got fed up with people coating off the product without physicaĺly hearing it.

[@BrotherNkosi]

CD vs Streaming? Two Words, Liner Notes. The info of the recording , sometimes the equipment used and other things can add enjoyment. If you read the liner from the CD " Swiss Movement" By Les McCann , you will know that it should have been a complete failure. Instead it's one of the all time great jam sessions in Jazz. That back story gives me extra joy when listening. I have over 1000 cd's and I would not have it any other way. Not that I don't have some stuff Electric Download but mostly CD's

[@kencur9690]

One word: google.

[@Mark-lq3sb]

For a moment, I felt like I was a kid again in the late 60's watching a episode of Land Of The Giants. Mini acoustic guitar next to the Leak CD transport. Capt. Steve trying to figure out what type of music machine the giants have invented.

[@MrJDNJ]

I've got something like 2500 cds, and can you believe that just this week I'm finding out that I have a batch of SACDs and HDCDs. Luckily I've got some DVD players that accommodate those formats, and I had a great listening experiences with both formats. (It actually took a lot of owner's manual reading to figure out the correct settings/outputs for listening to this stuff). It's interesting because I didn't buy the cds because of the special format, but it's amazing that I'm still finding new ways to listen to this stuff. Does anybody still talk about these special formats and do "new" DACs process this kind of encoding? If I had one of these "transport only" devices would I still get access to my entire collection??

[@ChrisStoneinator]

Unfortunately HDCD has long since stopped being supported by new players. I have my Arcam CDS50 (which plays SACDs and is a current model) connected up to my computer, and my solution for playing HDCDs is to just use Foobar on my PC with an HDCD plugin. HDCDs are nominally compatible with redbook CD players, but there’s no regular CD layer like there would be on almost all SACDs; it just plays back the HDCD-encoded audio, incorrectly (not extending the peaks etc). Kind of like playing a tape with noise reduction on a tape deck that doesn’t have it; it doesn’t sound right at all. The format was a brilliant idea that needed to catch on just a little bit more; if you could count on any modern player to decide HDCD just as you can with pre-emphasis, it would be a no-brainer.

[@charlesnr]

This adds to the Cambridge, Project , and Audiolab CD transports all under $1000. What really cool is that unlike older transports, they now can play CD-R's in your two channel system where you do not have an Blu ray player.

[@RasheedKhan-he6xx]

I don't have 100s or 1000s of CDs but I would definitely be interested in transport over a player. I see it the same as getting a turntable with or without a built in RIAA preamp. I especially don't understand brands that sell stacks where the amp and the CD player both have DACs. Inside the amp makes some sense - users have multiple digital sources. Inside a CD player, except for really cheap ones, to me makes no sense. Spend the money on making the running gear better.

[@francescas6026]

I utilize all the formats, LP'S, cassette tape, CD / SACD, DAT and streaming. Have a large vintage collection of each and for new purchases I buy SACD when available, CD'S and albums. It is all about the music and the mood you are in. Sometimes I like the no fuss of putting a CD in and listening to my favorite tracks. Would of been interested in the sound of the entire Leak system. Another great topic. Will give that Doors album a listen.

[@jonathansturm4163]

It’s my favourite Doors album :-)

[@BlankBrain]

The pandemic seems to have reduced the used CD selection somewhat. I buy used CDs, wash them, polish them if scratched, rip them using EAC, and store them on my NAS. Can someone explain how a real-time transport can sound better than an error-corrected FLAC with sufficient buffering? If the data is sitting in RAM waiting for the DAC to convert it, there's no jitter. Also, temperature compensated clock? Good God. Clocks don't audibly drift in the short term. I don't care if the music at the end of a song is 2 Hz faster than at the beginning. And finally, along with the discarded CDs at thrift shops, there are used CD players. I picked up a nice NAD player for less than $20. Admittedly, I had to order and replace light bulbs behind the display. I don't use it much. I just rip CDs and error-correct.

[@phrtao]

I think the phrase 'snake oil' springs to mind.

[@TheCangle]

My family got rid of a bunch of cds unfortunately however I was able to hang on to 100 or so of some of my favorites. I'm interested in getting a dedicated transport too, looking forward to the rumored Schiit transport.

[@cletusfordwicke7608]

I was happy to leave LPs in the 80s and I'm not going back. I love streaming, but have kept my CDs; some of the early ones just come alive with a flick of the phase switch. Thank you, Jason. (Stoddard)

[@spill_the_beans365]

Cool vintage look, I can dig it.

[@lastdays3148]

I still have my Albums from the 1970s and my Cassette Tapes from the 1980s and 1990s.

[@williamnaman3570]

Cassettes magnetize noise into the coiled tape over the years.

[@robberthilgeman5233]

Loving the t-shirt Steve! It even has Conflict and Discharge logos on it :)

[@mkwilson38]

That coax output terminal looks real iffy for a lot of connectors on quality cables. It doesn’t look like a cable would be able to insert all the way due to the inset nature of the terminal.

[@woohunter1]

3:45 it’s not even centered in the hole, for that price it should be perfect.

[@ChrisTopher-xu4ef]

Used cds are my go to. Then rip them to FLAC files. I know there is even higher quality audio formats to be had, but so far I am fully content and satisfied.

[@mike_lowndes]

Same, I'll buy CDs for the packaging and rip them to FLAC. Can't tell a difference sonically through £2K of hifi via the same DAC. Maybe I need £5k hfi lol.

[@JAZZMAN72762]

No disrespect to vinyl because that's where it all began,i love vinyl also but i don't miss the cracks and pops,some people have given up on the cd,i enjoy the clarity of them,i still enjoy the vinyl from time to time.

[@robh9079]

Must have taken some discussion at leak - stick a dac in, then if you buy the matching amp you buy the dac twice, and unnecessarily add its noise to both components. probably makes more sense in the amp these days as CD becomes more of a specialist item. i wonder if this trend will spark more transports? (the project transports look a pretty neat range. ) Yes - I am buying 2nd hand CD's!! same remote as audiolab!

[@legrandmaitre7112]

Seems you've swallowed the guff that "CD becomes more of a specialist item". No, that's what they want you to believe. Meanwhile millions of us love our CDS.

[@robh9079]

@@legrandmaitre7112 Quite the opposite! (maybe re-read my comment?) I listen exclusively to CD in fact, and do mention I am buying them. What I mean by 'CD being more specialist' is it is becoming less mainstream, as indeed it is - to our advantage - as SG says. I believe the best digital sound is to be had through 16bit 44.1 as a few are starting to notice. My main point is wondering if we will see more transports as dacs become more common in amps.

[@damianzaninovich4900]

There’s a new “Soft Parade” w/o the horns. My limited buying of used records has been disappointing. Either it’s a bad version that someone wants to unload or it’s too noisy because very few people took care of their LPs or had a good TT setup. Cds on the other hand are virtually indestructible.

[@baronofgreymatter14]

Is this a music or CDT review ? You spoke about the CDT for like 2 mins. How did the Leak sound?

[@spacejaime]

I agree, is this a good sounding CD transport? What DAC's did u use? How does it compare to others you have tried or have currently in your apartment? It is a lesser known brand, so convince us!

[@noelleonard2498]

Like a 700 dollar cd player 🤣

[@spacejaime]

@@noelleonard2498 can't, it is only a transport 😂

[@geol7408]

Hey Steve, where's that Herb Reichert video that you're holding back? We need some more Herb. Thanks.

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

Probably next weekend

[@geol7408]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac the anticipation grows. Thanks for all you do.

[@hypersphereengineering6015]

Steve, check that the USB drive has been formatted using Fat16 or Fat32 file format. I noticed in the specifications it doesn't support NTFS. You might need to just reformat the drive to make USB work. Just be aware, when you format the drive it will delete all the files as well. Start with a brand new thumb drive and format it in FAT32 , then transfer your songs to the drive.

[@robertwang7825]

The CDT2 mk3 is now selling for abt US1300. This wld def be my next buy since CDs are really cheap , US1.5 -3. When my Meridien was still working , it was magic.

[@josseman]

The quartz clock and the shielding are mentioned, but they are present in every decent DAC of 100+ euro.

[@ecamormex]

About 7 years ago I threw out all my CDs in the trash. I very much regret it now.

[@TorToroPorco]

An interesting transport and that walnut is to die for if you’re into the retro vibe but that slot loading kind of scares me. I’ve had too many bad experiences with slot loading drives. But the big question is whether it’s worth the premium over a decent CD player like the Marantz 6007 which also has digital outputs. More excellent music recommendations, I’m really digging the groove from Tommy Guerrero.

[@davidfairchild1640]

How does one transport sonically do better than another? Seems like the digital signal delivered to an external DAC should be the same, yes?

[@sheepylove]

Exactly this. I have not seen any audiophile mention it, but if you are taking the digital signal then the cheapest device that you can get which can read the data is fine, all the magic is then done in the DAC. The same argument goes for streamed music, if it is the same data as the CD then there is no audible difference. If it sounds different, then something is being done to the data..

[@alfonsodelafreg259]

@@sheepylove Transport and focus servo stability can lead to different requirements for error correction that can be audible. Albeit, subtle.

[@glenjo0]

My 30+ year old Magnavox CD player with Phillips 16 bit A/D gets almost daily use.

[@AdamKohtz1996]

It would be interesting to see your thoughts on the Audiolab 6000 CDT which might be pricewise a closer comparison

[@ollejzon2367]

I have heard both and ended up with Audiolab, much better built and sounds better as well.

[@amazoidal]

The Leak is the same as the Audiolab.

[@JamesSmith-qy3eu]

@@amazoidal They do differ in sound quality according to Paul Rigby, The Audiophile Man.

[@amazoidal]

I want to see schematics for both units. Paul couldn't evaluate without schematics. None of these "testers" are qualified to do comparisons.

[@dvanmartin9842]

The second Alabama Shakes record is great too! Worth owning.

[@sachaedwards2935]

I'm just at a bit of a loss as to what this thing actually does for the money? It feels like a computer manufacturer charging a premium for a fancy usb port. Granted the clock can reduce jitter but other interference doesn't really show up in a digital stream in my understanding. I get the importance of a DAC and of the rest of the amplification stage but a 1 has to be a 1 and a 0, a 0. If anybody knows better, I'm curious to be corrected.

[@baredesigns1]

There is absolutely nothing more to it. Audiophiles want to believe all sorts of things - yet cannot scientifically substantiate their beliefs, most are snake oil

[@joejoejoejoejoejoe4391]

@Homesteader Workouts It's possible that a cheaper ( £130.00p ) Blu-ray player would actually be better.

[@joejoejoejoejoejoe4391]

@Homesteader Workouts Hi-Fi world magazine publish a lot of test results, and a mid priced sony blu-ray player had comparable results to an £ 8,000 Esoteric transport, I think it's possible that the " blue " laser is better than old CD lasers, unfortunately the sony goes mental on some ( mostly RUSH and Led Zep, damned annoying ) CDs, I thick it could be something to do with copyright management. I used to use a DVD player, amusingly it would play through the DAC when fast forwarding.

[@derekclark7545]

Its an Audiolab 6000CDT with an added USB connector so you can plug your NAS server in to it.

[@powskier]

I love listening to CDs in my trucks. HD streaming at home.

[@j.t.cooper2963]

In my world, there is only CD's. I have bought 250 in the last year.

[@roberte.andrews4621]

I agree...Cds for me!

[@montag4516]

Excellent, keep up the demand for the format. I still buy new cd's as well amongst my already very extensive collection, although sacd is my favorite.

[@roberte.andrews4621]

CDs still offer the most cost-effective, clean source for most listeners. I get great FM with my big, old Fisher (Avery Fisher invented FM) receiver, here on the beach. But, when friends stop by, I don't want to have conversations interrupted by commercials or station breaks. LPs are OK for demos of specific tracks, but a pain in the backsides, when you have to jump up and flip the platter. I don't want to spend a bundle on streaming equipment or really anything that carries a monthly fee. I want to own my own media. Even the photos on record jackets are an American art form. You can't get that intimate interface with digital doo-dads, Dad. But, different strokes for disparate folks, as our political scene proves. You're my favorite audio mentor, Steve!

[@stevewarner8686]

I use a Jolida Fusion Transport CD player... served me well over the years but had to send back to factory for repairs and upgrades...

[@joeythedime1838]

Steve - not sure what file type your tried on the USB stick but the unit only supports WAV, MP3, AAC, WMA format formatted to FAT12, FAT16 & FAT32. It doesn't support lossless or NTFS.

[@Hare_deLune]

Wot, no Ogg Vorbis??! Pfft...

[@jonathansturm4163]

@@Hare_deLune No Opus either I’ll bet...

[@Hare_deLune]

@@jonathansturm4163 Right! Not in the list. XD

[@jonathansturm4163]

@@Hare_deLune When we purchased our Subaru Forester about 15 years ago, I insisted on a decent-double bin Kenwood transport. Not only refused to play anything beyond a straight MP3 it regularly ate the CDR and refused to eject it leading to my eventually giving up and listening to the radio.

[@Hare_deLune]

@@jonathansturm4163 That's horrible! Sorry to hear. I just found an interesting article by Robert Harley in Stereophile from 1990. If you're open to hearing about CD tweaks, look it up. The title is 'Frozen CD's?'

[@TattiePeeler]

How can you take seriously a slot fed design. Respect the physical medium you're handling. Ripping CD's with Plextor drives since the late 90s. I ❤️ the CD format.

[@soarornor]

I use pro Tascam CD recorders pre mk II design that use slot loading. I’ve never had a problem or any damage to the CD. The current generation of Tascam pro recorders 900,901 mk II went with the tray design but cheapened every other aspect of the design. I’ll stick with the slot load.

[@kjbiz]

definitely get sound and colour from Alabama Shakes Steve. Love the Doors and everything they did. You are right they packed it in

[@roberttroxell4006]

I would consider getting a transport, but I already have a Bluesound Vault 2i. I just rip CD's to its 2 TB hard drive and play whatever I want from that.

[@markyexley9440]

Yep - it's the Audiolab 6000CDT same remote and costs more money

[@williamnaman3570]

Are you saying the internals are exactly the same?

[@tonydeniro284]

Can you elaborate? Where have you confirmed that it is the same as the audiolab? My guess Is you could be correct as they are all owned by the same parent company. If that is the case, I'm selling my audiolab and grabbing the leak, as it is compact and much better looking.

[@williamnaman3570]

@@tonydeniro284 be sure you are not taking a step back. I love my audiolab cdt.

[@tonydeniro284]

@@williamnaman3570 I agree! I will not make a move unless I can verify its the same internally. It's just that the Leak would fit better in my situation being only a bit more than a foot wide, 13".

[@JamesSmith-qy3eu]

According to Paul Rigby, The Audiophile man, they are not the same. He has a review in which he compares it to the Audiolab transport.

[@davidvezzi111]

Dear Steve, when do you think will be possible your review about the Schiit Sol ?

[@JohnDoe-np3zk]

That slot load wouldn't be my choice, reminds me of a car CD that scratches your CDs all up. The Rega Planet 2000 I am using as a CD transport would take that Leak and keep going. Pun intended.

[@marttiinnanen4911]

This box is just a 5 dollar cd-rom mechanism from a laptop in a fancy box. Most of these digital 'high end' products are huge ripoffs. This same job can be achieved with a laptop for zero cost.

[@DvorTerrier]

In my humble opinion, top-loading transports are much better/more reliable, than front-loading ones; the way they hold the CD is so simple and solid! I have a Rega Apollo, and it has been working fine for many years; ALL of my front-loading CD and DVD players, on the other hand, (Denon, Sony) stopped working because of the transport mechanism failure -- from the sound of the CD/mechanism I can guess the CD is not engaging with the parts that are supposed to hold it in place (rubber pieces dry up?). No more front-loading transports for me, period.

[@manFromPeterborough]

@@DvorTerrier It's the loading belt that starts slipping and causing tray to not open or engage the top arm that holds CD in place

[@stuartphoenix6117]

@@marttiinnanen4911 when you hear a mid to high end cd player, you get it.

[@carlitomelon4610]

My CDs get ripped to my slot loading Bluesound Vault2 for convenience.8,000 tracks and plenty more space! I'm keeping my CDs and Mu-Fi X-ray drawer loading player. But we get new HD recordings on Qobuz everyday;-)

[@carlosbauza1139]

Vinyl and CD's, plus DVD's, and BluRays are all great!

[@thecanadiandavid600]

how much is the matching amp? I love the look of it.

[@billbones1000]

I had hundreds in my early 20s. I partied ALOT. Not a single CD survived. With streaming I don't feel the need to start buying CDs against, but man oh man I wish I still had that collection!

[@3lueant347]

Any HDCD people here? Jeffrey Norman (masters Grateful Dead live shows) continues to use it. Yes I know it is a solution to earlier CD data/sound problems. Measurement people can go get coffee now... I love my Emotiva ERC3 (discontinued previous generation, current model has no HDCD decoding). Spins CDs 40x speed like DVD, full warm weighty sound esp with HDCD encoded material. Since the Leak is close to OPPO and the OPPO is "pretty good" I guess the Leak is pretty pretty good.

[@deadquietvinyl]

That Doors album is the one I like the most actually! 🤩

[@mschool]

You just converted me to be an Alabama Shakes fan. I heard the debut for the first time after viewing this video. Recently, I've been chasing down old southern rock and scarfing up old Wet Willie albums because of Jimmy Hall's vocal power. I'm also a huge Cold Blood fan and Lydia Pense (if you haven't heard "First Taste of Sin; pick it up)....so Alabama Shakes debut album is a ringer for me. I'm not a candidate for the Leak Transport. I have a tank of a CD player, a refurbished Denon 1550AR that I picked up in Japan, where I live now. Cheers! Great channel.

[@thegrimyeaper]

I just bought a Rega Apollo CD player. I wasn't expecting much, it's an old player (2007 I think?) and the online store sold it for almost nothing. Just thought it looked cool and needed some cool gear to make my living room look nice. Without exaggerating, it's like I've never heard what a CD can sound like until now. I'm 40 years old and buying audio gear has been a hobby since I was a kid, but CDs have always been thin and harsh soundig compared to tapes and vinyl. But now? I want every piece of music I like to be played on my Rega. SACD doen't even come close to how thick, warm and alive this Rega sounds. To me, anyway.

[@yorkemar]

Being basic still and having no home network, I ripped my cds to wav.. put them on pocket drive and.. stream them thru my tv USB and Dac. The sound is close to my player indeed.

[@Mittelbrunn]

Snake oil for 695USD + case to carry 0&1's to the DAC, just exactly as any 30USD unit would. What's the point?

[@johnheenan5147]

"Feel So Sad (Glides and Chimes)".... Delicious via the right DAC... Amazing on vinyl also..

[@efibdn]

Thanks for the album. Streamed it on Spotify though. The easyness of pushing the button and the music playing right up few seconds after hearing the recomendation for me is paradise.

[@auggysimcity]

And google loves you even more knowing exactly what you listen too and at what time of the day. How much are the data mining companies paying you. Ohhh that’s correct. Zero.

[@efibdn]

@@auggysimcity Guess now they know I like secretly listen to Spice Girls every last Sunday of the month at 2 PM

[@dwahnaslowdown8887]

I think the Leak aesthetic has a place. It's neat, orderly, tasteful. Sort of Scandinavian. Put it in the CEO's office on a credenza with some LS50s. Functional decor.

[@tlegget1982]

i just started an sacd collection last year no looking back

[@baredesigns1]

Where do you buy your SACDs from..

[@tlegget1982]

@@baredesigns1 elusivedisc.com or Amazon

[@nunofernandes4501]

Hey Steve, try the Audiolab 6000CDT. It's also a dedicated transport, half the price of the Leak and might very well be just as good. Another thing, if your usb drive is formatted in NTFS it won't play in the Leak, you have to format in FAT32.

[@manFromPeterborough]

That is antiquated, FAT32 is shit

[@nunofernandes4501]

@@manFromPeterborough look at the tech specs in the video at 5:12. The Leak's USB doesn't support NTFS, only FAT.

[@PatrickHenryLibertyorDeath]

Love that shirt. Skate and music go together.

[@laika25]

How does it compare to the ROTEL you recently reviewed?

[@robfrancis8690]

Can you use Audioquest dragonfly cobalt DAC with it?

[@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac]

No

[@robfrancis8690]

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thanks, Steve!

[@karpen]

So, I guess if you you have your Leak and your Schitt you're all set?

[@shanec6664]

Then all you need is a shower

[@kentswanson2807]

It never gets old.

[@darkpatches]

Let's clean this up: "Steve, would you take a Leak or a Schitt?" Sorry, trying to push Kent over the edge....

[@IKnewMickey]

Ah hahaha

[@Hare_deLune]

Just hope yer Schitt doesn't Leak...

[@keithkrieger7075]

It was be nice if you listed the CDs along with the equipment.

[@luedriver]

what is the benefit of a CD Transport over a CD Player?

[@roadcykler62]

Some people consider separates to be better sounding just as some do a pre-amp/amp sound better than an integrated, but it isn't necessarily so. If the cd player has the same DAC chip as the stand alone DAC, it will sound the same, and actually may sound better since there is one less connection to pass through.

[@eddiehawkins7049]

I only have about 150 CDs, but I bought one of these. Looking forward to buying lots more CDs now that I have it.

[@nasskhan4543]

Good on you mate.

[@tonykazz2779]

Once again, Made in P.R.C. is blurry if it can be seen at all and isn't mentioned. Tony in Venice Florida

[@sgPond]

How would you compare the separate transport to the Naim audio CDX or even the Oppo UDP-205?

[@atoz6552]

It has a beautiful retro style to it! Especially with the walnut cover! Similarly priced to the Audiolab CDT 8000 CD transport. The Audiolab received very good reviews. I wonder how they compare 🤔

[@MatsUnden]

It is basically the same machine as far as I know.

[@lamecasuelas2]

I love CD's!!

[@jonathansturm4163]

They transformed music collecting for me.

[@lamecasuelas2]

@@jonathansturm4163 for me they hit the soft spot between, convenience, sound quality and just looking good on the shelves

[@jonathansturm4163]

@@lamecasuelas2 I seriously miss LP sleeves; I need a magnifying glass for CD inserts. But I don’t miss record cleaning!

[@maxcasci7432]

Hi Steve .... cone compare it with the Pro-ject cd box ds3 ... which is the best? thank you

[@rayleps4576]

I copied all the data from my CD collection onto a computer. Data is the same whether it comes from a computer or read by a high end CD player. Access to any disk data is instant as all my CD's are on a hard drive and hence in only one location. I can carry my entire CD collection on my portable 128GB Sony Walkman. Never looked back. P.S. All data is extracted and copied at CD native resolution of 320kb/s - 44khz/16bit. My Sony receiver decodes the streams from computer through an optical link from computer. D/A is done by high end receiver, not by computer system.

[@PDCRed]

My Cyrus CD player sounds better than any streamer I've ever heard. Love CDs.

[@Hare_deLune]

Would like to see Steve review one of those.

[@ThinkingBetter]

What have you heard? I use Amazon HD music and stream CD or better quality bit-perfect FLAC. CD is not better than streaming of the same data. Actually CDs are prone to data errors while streaming is not. Yes, streaming can sound bad when music is compressed or you use some computer or phone destroying the data.

[@jonathansturm4163]

@@ThinkingBetter I’ve been streaming through Tidal for a little less than a month now and I’m astonished at the number of recordings that aren’t available. You can’t listen to what’s not there!

[@ThinkingBetter]

@@jonathansturm4163 Some tracks are lacking but with streaming you have many more options than you would ever be able to buy as physical media.

[@jonathansturm4163]

@@ThinkingBetter David Bromberg’s first LP is missing. The two most recent Fat Freddy’s Drop albums are missing. There’s an early Hendrix live LP missing. The listing for Richard Thompson is less than half as long as what I have ripped to my music server! These are mainstream artists’ work, not the more obscure stuff I’d not be surprised to not find.

[@honkyjesuseternal]

2400 for a machine that does nothing? Sign me up.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

The wooden knobs are made from ancient rare teak.

[@tonydeniro284]

It is 899

[@auggysimcity]

No AES nor balanced xlr. Fail.

[@705johnnyboy]

i cant resist a cd if its from an op shop,i have tons ,all great artists ,i love vinyl more than life itself ,,,im very joyous tonight ,finally finished my dream 80s system ,its a stormer ,,linn meridian kef 104/2.....i have a bunker especially designed to jump into when it explodes into life i forgot the dynamics were so big ...im happy it took 8 years to do ...sorry for the rant ....

[@JaibirSethi]

Do you use the i2s connection between the Jays and the Terminator? If yes, is the gap between the Jays and Leak as big with spdif?

[@auggysimcity]

Definitely a big difference! I’d say i2> AES >spdif >balanced xlr

[@JadeTheWolf1982]

Omg someone else that uses their Oppo Bluray as a transport. I thought I was the only one :)

[@johnz4860]

I have an oppo 105 EU and I wonder whether an external DAC would be a good idea to have the DSD signal of SACDs sent to said DAC. Either that or be self-indulgent and buy a SACD player.

[@markyexley9440]

An Audiolab transport with added wood?

[@nasskhan4543]

Not the same as 6000 cdt.