Roland68
Master Contributor
SMSL has quietly presented its new T2 MQA CD Transport from the VMV series at the High End trade fair in Munich.
Price about 1000 $/€ or more...
Price about 1000 $/€ or more...
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SMSL T2 MQA CD Transport from the VMV series new at the High End trade fair
ChenHui
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This is priced at $1,000. What do you think? Although its main function is to play CDs, it seems to provide many other functions.
Nutul
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Except, if it is in any way detoriating the digital signal...
Nutul
Addicted to Fun and Learning
No, the point is that is has "no sound" unless you connect it to a DAC.
Misunderstood, but DAC is a solved problem ...
Perfect CD transports can be had for much less even from SMSL. Can't see spending that much unless you really like the looks of the device. Features wise it is nothing special.
I’m considering ordering a VMV T2 transport, but I would be buying blind, and there are not many reviews of this unit out there (which is something of a red flag). Tests on this forum of the cheaper SMSL transports suggest the measured audio performance should be excellent. So I’m more interested in your reflections on use-ability, the remote control, the display, and any concerns about build quality now you’ve had it for a while. Specifically, is mechanical noise audible at the listening position, and have you had any audible glitches or dropouts while playing clean CDs? Any feedback gratefully received - thank you
- Thread Starter
- #12
The VMV devices are SMSL's high-end series, often comparable to other devices but featuring more elaborate housings, better features (such as interfaces), and a higher-quality build. They also possess a certain exclusivity due to their smaller production runs and higher price.
Since the VMV T2 was released at the same time as the PL200 and PL200T, I would expect very similar performance and measurement results. This is also suggested by SMSL's published measurements, which have been very reliable so far.
I bought an S.M.S.L. VMV T2 a few weeks ago from Elise Audio in London, and I’m very happy with it. When I was researching it I could find very few reviews or user comments, so I thought I would share my experience so far.
The VMV T2 is small and neat and very well put together. It feels reassuringly solid, as does the metal remote, which looks like someone put some thought into it, rather than just printing their name on a generic plastic button-fest. The T2 is utterly silent when spinning a disc, and the I2S output worked out-of-the-box over a 60cm AudioQuest Cinnamon HDMI cable into my Holo Audio Cyan 2 DAC.
I own 1,000+ CDs and it’s my preferred way to listen to music. I have a Naim NSC222 streamer/pre-amp, which is great, but I find when streaming that I’m too easily distracted and I skip around from track to track. In contrast, once a CD is spinning I tend to play it to the end, and I find that more satisfying overall. This may be a generational thing as I grew up in the vinyl era when a new album by a favourite artist was something to luxuriate in repeatedly from start to finish!
I’d been using a Cambridge Audio CXC CD transport for a few years, initially connected via RCA to the DAC in the NSC222, with the Cyan 2 taking over DAC duties last year. The CXC is a good transport, and a bargain at half the price of the T2. However, the T2 sounds better to my ears in my system in three main ways. Firstly the soundstage is broader - instruments that sat just inside the speakers with the CXC now appear at or beyond the speakers. Secondly, small details that hadn’t registered before in familiar tracks are now apparent. These provide more clues about the acoustic of the recording space and the position and/or number of musicians. For example, on one track with female backing singers, which sounded perfectly fine with the CXC, I can hear with the T2 that there are three distinct voices. On a different track, I noticed for the first time that a repeated acoustic guitar run is in fact recorded on two guitars playing alternately and positioned slightly to the left and right of centre. Third and last, there is a little more definition and dynamic weight to the low end, which sounds a bit fuller. None of these perceived improvements are life-changing, but taken together they make for a more enjoyable listen.
As for downsides, the lift-off lid feels a bit tinny, although I’m happy with the principle of a top-loader as there is no drawer or slot to fail. The lid also doesn’t have quite enough grippiness on the recessed handle for my fat fingers, and I felt it would be easy to drop it, especially if drink had been taken! I’ve solved this by sticking a Popsocket onto it. These inexpensive collapsible discs are designed to stick on the back of mobile phones to make them easier to hold.
The display is very sharp, clear and bright, but if it’s set to go off after a time (which is optional) it doesn’t come back on when a CD ends or a when a new CD is loaded and the lid is put back on. It requires a press of a button on the remote or the fascia to wake the display up. Not a big deal obviously, just an odd design choice that could perhaps be addressed with a firmware update.
I have no use for the USB input on the T2, and the same goes for the Bluetooth function, hence I can’t comment on how either of those work. However, if like me you want a handsome and solidly-made disc spinner that focuses primarily on getting sound from red book CDs to a decent DAC, and you won’t feel deprived by the absence of SACD, upsampling or digital filters, then the T2 may fit the bill - just put a disc in, press Play and enjoy.
The VMV T2 is small and neat and very well put together. It feels reassuringly solid, as does the metal remote, which looks like someone put some thought into it, rather than just printing their name on a generic plastic button-fest. The T2 is utterly silent when spinning a disc, and the I2S output worked out-of-the-box over a 60cm AudioQuest Cinnamon HDMI cable into my Holo Audio Cyan 2 DAC.
I own 1,000+ CDs and it’s my preferred way to listen to music. I have a Naim NSC222 streamer/pre-amp, which is great, but I find when streaming that I’m too easily distracted and I skip around from track to track. In contrast, once a CD is spinning I tend to play it to the end, and I find that more satisfying overall. This may be a generational thing as I grew up in the vinyl era when a new album by a favourite artist was something to luxuriate in repeatedly from start to finish!
I’d been using a Cambridge Audio CXC CD transport for a few years, initially connected via RCA to the DAC in the NSC222, with the Cyan 2 taking over DAC duties last year. The CXC is a good transport, and a bargain at half the price of the T2. However, the T2 sounds better to my ears in my system in three main ways. Firstly the soundstage is broader - instruments that sat just inside the speakers with the CXC now appear at or beyond the speakers. Secondly, small details that hadn’t registered before in familiar tracks are now apparent. These provide more clues about the acoustic of the recording space and the position and/or number of musicians. For example, on one track with female backing singers, which sounded perfectly fine with the CXC, I can hear with the T2 that there are three distinct voices. On a different track, I noticed for the first time that a repeated acoustic guitar run is in fact recorded on two guitars playing alternately and positioned slightly to the left and right of centre. Third and last, there is a little more definition and dynamic weight to the low end, which sounds a bit fuller. None of these perceived improvements are life-changing, but taken together they make for a more enjoyable listen.
As for downsides, the lift-off lid feels a bit tinny, although I’m happy with the principle of a top-loader as there is no drawer or slot to fail. The lid also doesn’t have quite enough grippiness on the recessed handle for my fat fingers, and I felt it would be easy to drop it, especially if drink had been taken! I’ve solved this by sticking a Popsocket onto it. These inexpensive collapsible discs are designed to stick on the back of mobile phones to make them easier to hold.
The display is very sharp, clear and bright, but if it’s set to go off after a time (which is optional) it doesn’t come back on when a CD ends or a when a new CD is loaded and the lid is put back on. It requires a press of a button on the remote or the fascia to wake the display up. Not a big deal obviously, just an odd design choice that could perhaps be addressed with a firmware update.
I have no use for the USB input on the T2, and the same goes for the Bluetooth function, hence I can’t comment on how either of those work. However, if like me you want a handsome and solidly-made disc spinner that focuses primarily on getting sound from red book CDs to a decent DAC, and you won’t feel deprived by the absence of SACD, upsampling or digital filters, then the T2 may fit the bill - just put a disc in, press Play and enjoy.
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