@NTTY
Excellent review thanks!
Did you try playback of CDs of 60-70 min+?
Really interested in a small footprint, robust top loader to use as transport in a minimalist system.
I have a cheap thinkya that starts skipping at 60 min+. Was looking at the much more expensive shanling ET3 but some users report the same issues.
Both are small top loaders, wondering if these issues are part of shared construction/drive.
This one seems to fit the bill though.
What is the cheapest place to get one in the EU...?
No, this has nothing to do with the mechanical design of the drives, as the exact same drive mechanisms are used for both top-loading and tray-loading units. The CD clamping mechanism also comes in various forms: a spring-clip version, a magnetic puck version (typically found in tray-loaders, though also used in boomboxes with hinged lids), and a simple pressure-puck version.
The issue likely lies with the control electronics and the associated integrated circuits (ICs). The older ICs are presumably no longer available—or are prohibitively expensive—and regarding the newer ICs, it appears that certain technical know-how has been lost; knowledge which, evidently, cannot be restored simply through firmware updates.
In most cases, it seems that a relatively modern chip—manufactured within the last few years—is being utilized; this chip notably includes features such as the ability to rip CDs to USB drives in WAV format.
I have personally tested several different drives, and so far, I haven't had any success with any of them—not even with Shanling units.
The problems encountered included, among other things: the inability to detect or play a CD at all; a lack of gapless playback support; and various issues affecting the final 1 to 3 tracks of a CD. These issues sometimes manifested as audio artifacts during playback—such as ticking sounds, dropouts, or digital distortion—which, interestingly enough, were reproduced identically in the resulting digital rips. However, when ripping the same CDs via a Mac using a standard external USB drive, absolutely no problems occurred.
All of the CDs in question adhered to the 74-minute time limit and fully complied with the Compact Disc standard. Their manufacturing dates spanned a wide range, from the early 1990s (with one dating back to 1989) right up to the present day. Furthermore, all these CDs played back flawlessly on standard, full-size Hi-Fi CD players.
We have several highly knowledgeable members in this forum who are far more familiar with this subject matter and might be able to shed some further light on the issue.
Perhaps
@Scytales knows more about this.
fosiaudio.com
