Assorted cables including Transparent XL Gen. Technics RS1506 with Flux Magnetic heads, Doshi V3.0 tape stage (balanced) 2, vdh Colibri Master Signature, MutechHayabusa, MOFI Master Tracker, Sumiko Songbird cartridges

VPI 12-inch 3D Fat Boy dual pivot tonearm, VPI 12-inch 3D Fat Boy gimballed and SAT LM-12 arm Goldmund Mimesis 37S Nextgen preamplifier Everything is just kind of crunchy sounding. Just listen to some of the early digital recordings and their upper octaves. I just think that most of these old DACs would fail though especially when compared to newer digital gear in the area of upper octaves and transparency. One that I liked back then that would still probably hold it's own was the Audio Note DAC 3 (?) that I reviewed for TAS years ago. ML was good but I always thought possessed a tailored sound. But showed the promise of higher rez digital even if many of the SACDs were converted to PCM. Wasn't bad sounding but a little thin in the mids and etched. Had the SCD-1 and like you said, it tried your patience loading a disc. Burred and closed in sounding as I remember. Know everyone raved about the Delius (had it in for review even) but my Altis gear just blew it away. I wonder how they would compare to Esoteric, current dCS, Playback Designs and other top sliver disc players including the Oppo 105 (or the new 4K version).I was never crazy about the sound of the early DCS digital gear. So, as good as the above transport/players were. I wonder how they would compare to Esoteric, current dCS, Playback Designs and other top sliver disc players including the Oppo 105 (or the new 4K version). The transport was sweet and it also played SACDs. Maybe someday, I should get one again.Д¤) dCS stacks - one of the finest digital sound I got. It should sound gloriously with a modern DAC in playing CDs.ДЈ) Wadia 361 - just as a player, it was a beauty and a fine performer. It may have been the best CD transport (no SACD though like SCD-1) I ever had. I wonder how it would sound as a transport with modern DACs.Дў) ML 35.1 - I don't think the 35.1 can be made these days at the price range when it was available. Here are my favorites I used to have and miss:ДЎ) Sony SCD-1 other than having to pack a lunch in between switching discs, it was fine hunk of metal player. What would you nominate as the best CD player/transport of the past? Lately, I had been lazy about playing my CD collection.

Best vintage onkyo cd player