Blind Luck

[coaltrain]

It’s been roughly a year and a half since I put together my current setup, and all was well in audioland. Then I got a cheque in the mail.

Apparently, in a rare display of intelligence, young coaltrain had invested in a PF fund some twenty years ago. And then promptly forgotten all about it. So now the older me had to deal with this windfall, and that could only mean one thing… it’s upgrade time!

Of course, there really was no need for me to upgrade anything. I was perfectly happy with my setup, and I’d been steadily growing my collection of CDs. But, as we all know, upgraditis attacks the brain cells first. Common sense goes out the window and convoluted rationalization takes over.

Say hello to my new friend: the Denafrips Pontus 12th.



I did (very) briefly consider the Gustard R26, but I’ve been digging the Ares II for far too long. Sticking with the Denafrips’ sonic signature made the most sense. And it’s worked out beautifully.

The Pontus takes all the positive qualities of the Ares and cranks it up to 11. The most immediately obvious improvements are in bass depth and definition, instrument separation and soundstaging. Which means that the system’s basic character has not changed, it’s just gotten better.

So, what’s next? How about a top loading transport like the Jay’s Audio CDT? Or the new Wharfedale Dovedales? Or both?

Ah well, in a moment of sanity, I reinvested everything. So I’m quite happy… for now

 

[Jayant_S]

The Pontus takes all the positive qualities of the Ares and cranks it up to 11.

High time you did this upgrade! Pontus II is a beast both sonically and physically. Maybe spare the poor CD player from getting crushed and swap them?

 

[coaltrain]

Maybe spare the poor CD player from getting crushed and swap them?

LOL! That’s been weighing on my mind too
Fortunately, the cdp has been holding up pretty well so far.

 

[coaltrain]

Update: The final piece of the puzzle clicks into place...

Once the Pontus had burned in nicely (~200 hrs), everything was right with the world. Until, that is, I happened to read an old article on GIGO; Garbage In, Garbage Out. Back in the day when vinyl ruled the Earth, audiophiles would focus the majority of their budget on turntables. This made sense as TTs were notoriously difficult to get right. And if your source was not up to scratch, even the most expensive speakers couldn't put Humpty back together again.

Fast forward to the age of CDs, and GIGO went out the window. Why spend megabucks on a CD player when they all sound the same? Ah well, but do they?

A while ago, FM Jayant and I had done a blind AB comparison of my humble Audiolab against his hefty Sony. And the results were pretty conclusive. The Sony sounded better. Not a huge difference, mind you, but an audible one. That got me thinking; would a transport upgrade be worth it? Only one way to find out!

Say hello to my (not so) little friend, the CEC TL5 Belt Drive CD Transport.



There's not much info out there on the TL5, so I'll waffle on for a bit...

The TL5 is built in Japan and you can tell immediately. Weighing in at 8.5 Kgs, the construction feels solid. The disc drawer isn't as reassuringly heavy as an Audio Note or Jay's Audio top loader, but it's silky smooth nonetheless. The puck, however, is next level. Made from brass, its 330 gms doesn't sound like much; until you pick it up. Apparently, its heavier mass is designed to work in conjunction with a lower torque motor and the belt drive.

Oh yes, the belt! When I first heard about CEC and their belt driven transports, I thought 'this must be a gimmick'. Surely a rubber band isn’t capable of spinning CDs at high speed! And what about jumping tracks? That would take ages, right? Man, was I wrong...

The first thing that hit me about the sound was the timing; or should I call it the flow of music? It's very hard to describe just how the CEC plays the notes. The music moves with an irresistible forward momentum, whether it's a frenetic electronic track or a slow-burning ballad. It's nigh impossible for me to listen without tapping my feet, or bobbing my head like I was riding in an auto on a B'lore road.

The next thing one hears is the bass; not just the quantity, but the quality as well. A lot of older jazz albums have the bassist buried in the mix. Not anymore. This also seems to add to the sense of drive and rhythm. Detail retrieval has also gone up several notches, while still remaining fatigue-free. Everything sounds coherent, and just downright musical.

So, is GIGO still valid in the digital era? Oh, absolutely. In my first post here, I noted that the Lintons were not very adept at pinpoint imaging. That's no longer true! It honestly feels like the speakers have also been upgraded, without losing any of their original flavour.

Well, this is it. Besides some minor tweaks I might do here and there, I’m done for quite a while. Famous last words, you think? Guess only time will tell...

 

[Jayant_S]

A while ago, FM Jayant and I had done a blind AB comparison of my humble Audiolab against his hefty Sony. And the results were pretty conclusive. The Sony sounded better. Not a huge difference, mind you, but an audible one. That got me thinking; would a transport upgrade be worth it? Only one way to find out!

There was a sense of inevitability about that blind AB test. We both came out thinking we needed to buy SOME new gear

 

[coaltrain]

There was a sense of inevitability about that blind AB test. We both came out thinking we needed to buy SOME new gear

LOL!
Let’s not do this again anytime soon! Ignorance is bliss

 

[fLUX]

Update: The final piece of the puzzle clicks into place...

Once the Pontus had burned in nicely (~200 hrs), everything was right with the world. Until, that is, I happened to read an old article on GIGO; Garbage In, Garbage Out. Back in the day when vinyl ruled the Earth, audiophiles would focus the majority of their budget on turntables. This made sense as TTs were notoriously difficult to get right. And if your source was not up to scratch, even the most expensive speakers couldn't put Humpty back together again.

Fast forward to the age of CDs, and GIGO went out the window. Why spend megabucks on a CD player when they all sound the same? Ah well, but do they?

A while ago, FM Jayant and I had done a blind AB comparison of my humble Audiolab against his hefty Sony. And the results were pretty conclusive. The Sony sounded better. Not a huge difference, mind you, but an audible one. That got me thinking; would a transport upgrade be worth it? Only one way to find out!

Say hello to my (not so) little friend, the CEC TL5 Belt Drive CD Transport.

View attachment 81884

There's not much info out there on the TL5, so I'll waffle on for a bit...

The TL5 is built in Japan and you can tell immediately. Weighing in at 8.5 Kgs, the construction feels solid. The disc drawer isn't as reassuringly heavy as an Audio Note or Jay's Audio top loader, but it's silky smooth nonetheless. The puck, however, is next level. Made from brass, its 330 gms doesn't sound like much; until you pick it up. Apparently, its heavier mass is designed to work in conjunction with a lower torque motor and the belt drive.

Oh yes, the belt! When I first heard about CEC and their belt driven transports, I thought 'this must be a gimmick'. Surely a rubber band isn’t capable of spinning CDs at high speed! And what about jumping tracks? That would take ages, right? Man, was I wrong...

The first thing that hit me about the sound was the timing; or should I call it the flow of music? It's very hard to describe just how the CEC plays the notes. The music moves with an irresistible forward momentum, whether it's a frenetic electronic track or a slow-burning ballad. It's nigh impossible for me to listen without tapping my feet, or bobbing my head like I was riding in an auto on a B'lore road.

The next thing one hears is the bass; not just the quantity, but the quality as well. A lot of older jazz albums have the bassist buried in the mix. Not anymore. This also seems to add to the sense of drive and rhythm. Detail retrieval has also gone up several notches, while still remaining fatigue-free. Everything sounds coherent, and just downright musical.

So, is GIGO still valid in the digital era? Oh, absolutely. In my first post here, I noted that the Lintons were not very adept at pinpoint imaging. That's no longer true! It honestly feels like the speakers have also been upgraded, without losing any of their original flavour.

Well, this is it. Besides some minor tweaks I might do here and there, I’m done for quite a while. Famous last words, you think? Guess only time will tell...

Its a very good CD transport, congrats & happy listening.