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Audiolab 6000CDT experience

Angsty

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I must have unusual luck. I have been using a Cambridge Audio Azur 540C player as my transport for over 15 years now. I've rarely have had any problem with it. Occasionally, there is a disk that it won't play, but that's like 1 in 200.
 

zooomart

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Anybody using a 6000CDT CD transport ? Experience good or bad - have a Benchmark DAC and maybe feedin it CD's thru a new transport might be worthwhile ?
Bought the 6000CDT to replace a Sony CD/SACD that worked OK but was 10 years old and wanted to secure a new good transport while they are still available at a reasonable price. The CDT feeds a Wadia16 via Toslink. Wadia 16 outputs via balanced Kimber XLR to a Krell KSA80. The new transport works well ie remote and panel controls. I appreciate the large display size. There were a number of CDs that skipped after 20-30 years of use. Every one plays perfectly. I recent bought a box of CDs a a garage sale. A copy of Counting Crows CD was so scratched it would not start playing on the Sony. It was this CD that got thinking it was time for something new. The Audiolab plays it perfectly. I am willing to forgo SACD and higher than Redbook Resolution to Keep using the variable out (5v) on the Wadia. Eliminating a good preamp, in my case a Krell Pam5, was huge step change for the better. Transparency, sound stage, and dynamics all improved
 

att007

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I just bought a 6000CDT, secondhand. I was really excited to get it because regarding music playback quality you can hardly see any issues about this transport over the internet. I just wired up quickly, but my current experience is not good at all….and this is the polite way to explain. I have a Cyrus One HD amp and I tried the transport with a SMSL SU-1 dac and the Cyrus internal dac as well (I have a Topping E50 as well, but didn’t try that yet). All units connected to a Tacima mains conditioner. The optical cable is the cheap one currently I’ve got to my Wiim mini…however that sounds great with the streamer. I’ve ordered a AQ Carbon Toslink cable so I will try that in the next couple days….but I still can’t believe it how awful this chain sounds through the transport (with different cd’s of course). Speakers are KEF R3’s. Is any of you have any idea what could be the problem? Many thanks in advance guys! Have a great day!
 

muslhead

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I just bought a 6000CDT, secondhand. I was really excited to get it because regarding music playback quality you can hardly see any issues about this transport over the internet. I just wired up quickly, but my current experience is not good at all….and this is the polite way to explain. I have a Cyrus One HD amp and I tried the transport with a SMSL SU-1 dac and the Cyrus internal dac as well (I have a Topping E50 as well, but didn’t try that yet). All units connected to a Tacima mains conditioner. The optical cable is the cheap one currently I’ve got to my Wiim mini…however that sounds great with the streamer. I’ve ordered a AQ Carbon Toslink cable so I will try that in the next couple days….but I still can’t believe it how awful this chain sounds through the transport (with different cd’s of course). Speakers are KEF R3’s. Is any of you have any idea what could be the problem? Many thanks in advance guys! Have a great day!
Are you expecting that new cable to make a difference?
If so, may want to check the gazillion posts on THIS site as to your likelihood of success
 

att007

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Honestly...don't know... cables can make a difference sometimes, but I just would like to find the issue and don't know where is it. As the sound is generally crap (compare to wiim mini streaming...should be the other way around) I don't think cable will turn the whole thing upside down and then everything will be just perfect :) I have a good experience with the small SMSL SU-1...it's a great sounding dac...and the same with the integrated dac in Cyrus. So I may have an issue with the transport itself....
 

Mart68

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Honestly...don't know... cables can make a difference sometimes, but I just would like to find the issue and don't know where is it. As the sound is generally crap (compare to wiim mini streaming...should be the other way around) I don't think cable will turn the whole thing upside down and then everything will be just perfect :) I have a good experience with the small SMSL SU-1...it's a great sounding dac...and the same with the integrated dac in Cyrus. So I may have an issue with the transport itself....
try using the sp/dif output instead, see if that's the same. Although can't think of a fault that would make it sound crap as opposed to dropping out and/or not working at all.

I use a cheap optical cable (cost £9.99) on mine, the sound quality can't be faulted.
 

att007

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It seems the problem solved by itself now... I don't know what was the issue. I've tried different cd's and let the cd transport run more and now the 6000cdt with my amp's dac is head to head (as per my ears :) ) with cd quality stream from Wiim mini+SMSL SU-1. Same album same track. Stream from Tidal 44.1k. However I haven't done a blind test but I can't hear any difference at this stage. This isn't an extensive comparison of course but I didn't have more time yet. Even if I thought listening cd's should be way better quality-wise than the streaming and that's not the case yet, I'm happy because they are at least the same level now. Maybe my current system is not good enough (revealing) to show that physical cd is better.
 

Mart68

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As long as it's the same mastering there is no reason why CD and streaming wouldn't be identical.

I use CD exclusively but I wouldn't make any claims of sonic superiority over the same music streamed. I just like to own the physical recording and be able to choose the mastering I want.
 

jsrtheta

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I think the Jay's Audio unit is the closest you'd likely find on the current market to the old Teac. I would not claim myself that the audio performance as a transport is any better than a Marantz CD6007, but the build quality is unique.

It shouldn't be any different than any other competent CD player.
 

RenSong

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These scratch CDs by the way. Buyer beware. Had to sell mine.
 

thegeton

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No problem here with CD’s getting scratched by the 6000CDT The 6000CDT does an amazing job of playing severally scratched CDs… many that I bought used

Agreed on both counts.
 

Timcognito

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If scratched CD won't play, car headlight restorer can work magic, only on the non printed side. Have not figured out how to repair the other side, probably impossible
 

Doodski

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If scratched CD won't play, car headlight restorer can work magic, only on the non printed side. Have not figured out how to repair the other side, probably impossible
The lens is only on the play side of the CD.
 

Timcognito

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Doodski

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Yes, but it reads the other side through the plastic I understand.
With standard CD there is one layer, with the plastic lens stuff and that's about it for CD operation. Pretty simple as for the layout.
 

Mart68

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Others have also reported scratching. It may be a unit to unit issue.
Could be but I doubt it. There's reports of the rollers marking the discs but I've not seen any reports of discs being rendered unreadable due to this?

I can see why people who don't understand why a CD is nothing like a vinyl LP might be concerned about it but there's no issue in practical terms.
 

Mart68

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I do have some criticisms though:

I don't like the slot loading it's awkward in use. Not that keen on how it looks either, it's not offensive but it's not 'proper' either and the display seems like it was left over from the 1990s.

Sadly it seems it is impossible to buy a decent-looking current model CD transport with drawer-loading or slot loading without going pro and getting a recording facility I don't need.
Further to this I have now replaced the Audiolab with a TEAC VRDS 701T - draw loading and a better looking device to my eyes.

Blind testing with the same CD copied to hard drive and played back through a Novafidelity X50D streamer I was unable to reliably say which source was playing. Suspect this is good enough.
 
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