Fosi Merak Review (CD Player)

[Roland68]

Unless you work for Fosi, an industry insider, or a hi-fi manufacturer in China yourself, you can only speak for yourself based on your limited understanding.

I don't appreciate people shovelling half-true information and forcing others to accept it as fact.

To me, there is a definite difference between a CD player and a CD transport. I am not talking about measurements. If you are unaware of this fact or is not willing to accept it as such, there is no point in continuing this discussion. We will just have to agree to disagree.

Industry insider: For over 35 years, more than 100 completed projects in the HiFi/audio sector alone, and more than 1000 supported and completed B2B and B2C projects in aviation, photography, IT, industry, quality control, production engineering, etc. We deliver our products worldwide, a significant portion of which goes to China.

There are no technical differences between CD transports and CD players; the components are identical—the only difference is that a CD transport lacks one specific part.
In a CD player, the data read from the disc is converted into I2S and then processed in two ways: it is converted to S/PDIF for the S/PDIF output and simultaneously sent as an I2S data stream to the internal DAC.
This means there cannot possibly be any interference between the DAC and the digital output.
A CD transport simply omits the DAC section.
With some high-end manufacturers, it is (or was) possible to convert a CD transport into a standard CD player by adding a DAC board, or vice versa.

You just answered the question yourself.

This is the true CD transport I am looking for:

Shenzhen Shanling Digital Techno

en.shanling.com

Good luck with it.
Personally, I consider the CR60 one of the worst transports I’ve ever had on my workbench. It lacks gapless playback, failed to play various perfectly fine CDs, and produced rhythmic background noise and interference on long CDs—even on the rips.
I tested three units from different sources and tried two software updates, but saw no improvement. It’s not the only transport with these kinds of issues.
But perhaps they’ve resolved it by now.

 

[OldTimer]

I deliberately answered my own question because the definition of a “true CD transport” that you hold dear is completely meaningless apart from as a marketing strategy to extract more money from OCD affected audiophiles.

The Shanling looks nice though.

Sony Bluray player, 10 years old BDP-S6500, doesn't have analog output only hdmi & digital coaxial. Is it considered as CD transport?

Easily found on used market $50. It also can play SA-CD & usb flac files.

 

[Matt_Holland]

Sony Bluray player, 10 years old BDP-S6500, doesn't have analog output only hdmi & digital coaxial. Is it considered as CD transport?

Easily found on used market $50. It also can play SA-CD & usb flac files.

Anything that plays CDs is a transport.

 

[Nutul]

Sony Bluray player, 10 years old BDP-S6500, doesn't have analog output only hdmi & digital coaxial. Is it considered as CD transport?

Easily found on used market $50. It also can play SA-CD & usb flac files.

it is indeed a transport.

 

[Roland68]

Sony Bluray player, 10 years old BDP-S6500, doesn't have analog output only hdmi & digital coaxial. Is it considered as CD transport?

Easily found on used market $50. It also can play SA-CD & usb flac files.

The BDP-S6500 is one of the last better CD/SACD/DVD/BD players/transports from Sony and also one of the last devices with which SACDs can be ripped.
It serves as an ideal transport when paired with an external DAC via coaxial/RCA connection.
With an additional circuit board or box (HDMI audio extractor), it is also possible to output the SACD's DSD signal in full resolution.

 

[OldTimer]

The BDP-S6500 is one of the last better CD/SACD/DVD/BD players/transports from Sony and also one of the last devices with which SACDs can be ripped.
It serves as an ideal transport when paired with an external DAC via coaxial/RCA connection.
With an additional circuit board or box (HDMI audio extractor), it is also possible to output the SACD's DSD signal in full resolution.

I'm still not sure whether the digital coaxial can send 24-bit 192 kHz of FLAC files to DAC but HDMI can. Someone said digital coaxial can only send output 44.1 kHz to the DAC. Do you have any experience of it?

 

[Roland68]

I'm still not sure whether the digital coaxial can send 24-bit 192 kHz of FLAC files to DAC but HDMI can. Someone said digital coaxial can only send output 44.1 kHz to the DAC. Do you have any experience of it?

As far as I know, everything at the S/PDIF output is limited to 44.1/48 kHz and 16-bit.
You can easily test this with an external DAC that displays the sample rate and bit depth.

 

[NTTY]

Unless you work for Fosi, an industry insider, or a hi-fi manufacturer in China yourself, you can only speak for yourself based on your limited understanding.

You’ve been disrespectful to quite a number of members, indirectly including the reviewer here.
You talk nonsense and unless you represent Shanling yourself, your speech makes no sense.

I don't appreciate people shovelling half-true information and forcing others to accept it as fact.

Likewise, you obviously have no understanding of what’s been published here and what makes a good CD Transport. Go spread misleading information elsewhere.

 

[NTTY]

I'm still not sure whether the digital coaxial can send 24-bit 192 kHz of FLAC files to DAC but HDMI can. Someone said digital coaxial can only send output 44.1 kHz to the DAC. Do you have any experience of it?

Like @Roland68 said, the HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) mandates a muted/blocked or downgraded digital output if the HDCP encryption can’t be applied. Since SPDIF is not HDCP compatible, the output of high-res content is downgraded to CD-Audio quality, meaning 16bits PCM 44.1kHz (or 48kHz).

 

[HF Rolloff]

Newbe here! Not sure if there's a better thread.
Just for anyone who tries this:
Got my Merak optical out working through a Cubilux SPDIF to USB converter model UCI-B1 from the A space. This after no success getting audio through another SPDIF/USB converter, the "Sound Card,Optimal Shop 6 Channel External Sound Card" another A store product. Very happy, can process this digital signal through Peace/APO and send of t o DAC. Now I must listen to my entire CD collection again!