Valued opinion please

I'm planning to try some transport experitmentation in the near future and was wondering if those 'in the know' could maybe give me a few pointers.

At present I'm running my Audio Note CDT2 into a TACT RCS 2.0. Now, the TACT is IMHO very revealing of its surrounding components and the CDT2 is coming out as being very 'dry'. Now, it's a great transport and has given me sterling service but the TACT gear is pretty ruthless. There's great timing there along with plenty of detail but no weight, authority or (for want of a better word) 'character'.

The learning curve with the TACT room correction is not so much steep as infinite. It's been in the living rom for a few weeks now and I'm starting to get an idea of what I'm looking for. Being able to switch between corrections and listening sans processing is quite startling.

So down to business. I have the opportunity to go for either [Merlin's] Teac P30 (a monster of a transport) or a Wadia 20. Both utilise a VRDS mech. but have slightly different implimentations.

The Wadia 20 is approx £1,500

and the TEAC P30 is going for around £1,450.


Feel free to suggest that I'm nuts and wasting my time but the s/h value of the CDT2 is very good (due to it's rarity) and Wadia/TEACS hold their value rather well.

No Naim suggestions please as I need a digi-out . And I already have plenty of music to be getting on with without having to buy more :MILD: . Besides - it's fun :JPS:

Your help will be greatly appreciated.

 

The Wadia

 

The Teac

 

i believe trichord or someone does a digital output board... can you see where this one is going yet? cdx's are v cheap at present...
i'd go for the teac as it's probably going to be newer and will have the latest version of the vrds in it.
just a thought.
cheers


julian

 

My vote goes for the Teac, I know Wadia has the 'pimp' factor, but if anyone knows how to implement VRDS its Teac themselves.
Oh, and its cheaper, and a nice champagne colour.
Simon

 

I can add one additional thought to this thread.

Until recently I had two VRDS-7 Teacs. One of which however was sat with the group is was bought from since the day after it was bought, due to technical faults.
FOUR months later, and we still had no resolution, and as such a refund was handed out by the retailer. I was the person holding out to try to get the parts because I hoped that it would be still possible to repair.
In reality, the issue was actually with Teac. The simple fact was that on contacting them directly, I discovered that they used a korean manufacturer for replacement parts and they had no idea when they would be forthcoming.

My guess is that there was a minimum production run for the parts in question, and that Teac were waiting until they'd reached the minimum order threshold. As such, it's possible that the wait could be for years.

Either way, the point I'm trying to put across is that it might be worth going for the newer Teac transport in the P30, as chances are that if you have a fault, you'll actually have some chance of getting replacement parts.

 

Or if you want, Steve you can purchase a Wadia, that will take both of them apart, with consumate ease, I have a 270 now and Have a SE drive on the way, so if you would like to own a serious transport, then I have the very thing
I need to start again with 270, so I will need to fianace the mod programme.
One word, I feel the Teac P30 maybe more for you, the Wadia's are 85% teac, however the digital output boards & Psu's plus casing arn't & other bits, this is easy. The teac has body and presence, is open and clean, detailed too, the wadia has all the other bits like drive bounce/dynamics. both are good, but for Steve Merl's P30 will do the job more of what your after, plus you can chuck the later Vrds in there as well that really gives it a kick in the arse