VRDS transports are the best transports on the planet. A version of which is also used in $100k Esoteric players and used to be bought by dCS and Wadia until Teac/Esoteric stopped supplying them. This TEAC is a genuine bargain.
Wow...!!! Great review and better yet... Thanks for turning me on to Proem...!!! Nothing better than having someone turn you on to a great book or music...!!! I've started off with Proem's first album - 'Burn Plate No. 1' - as I enjoy beginning with an artist's first album, then listening to the rest of his/her/their work in chronological order, so as to get a sense of their evolution, per se... Thanks again Mr. Darko - much appreciated...!!!
Nice one John !Digital inputs on a CD player are a must for me. Especially high end, when you're paying good money you want to be able to utilise the DAC you've paid for.
As someone who passed on a Pioneer Elite DVD player with SACD capabilities (working, good condition, no remote) at the thrift (charity shop for Europeans) for all of $8us, I don't know how to feel about units this expensive. I love it. Been a big fan of TEAC/Tascam for a while. I happen to like the looks a lot. Diminishing returns. It's nice that the internal dac can receive external sources. Can you still be a Bonafide audiophile without space program level of spending?
Hi John...Liverpool Kev here...Firstly...I love your videos...your presentation style is simply wonderful...I am in my 60s now and have loved 'value HiFi' all of my life and have several HiFi setups across home and office...You clearly have a great sense of humour so hope you take this the right way....several years ago in UK...there was a wine tasting lady on tv who used ever more bizarre descriptions in wine tasting...I am sure she said once 'mmm yes badger with a touch of tarmac'...(might have made that one up) ...some of your descriptions (which I love by the way) have a touch of the Jilly Goolden about them....look her up John...I hope you will appreciate the crossover into high end HiFi audio description...Do take care and thank you so much for your videos....Liverpool Kev
There's something about your reviews Mr. Darko, that makes them soooo enjoyable to listen to/watch even though I know, I'll never afford some of the products on "display". I would love to pick up CDs again, like I was doing in the late 90s and early 00s. But I guess that streaming has made me lazy. Thank you for being such an honest and inspiring person both when it comes to products as well as music! (Yes! I love both the ambient and old school rock music that is mentioned in your videos)
Very interesting and timely for me. My teac vrds 10 which has given me 25 years of service has just gone to have its clock upgraded to see what difference it makes. I use it as a transport mainly nowadays and the digital output should benefit from the clock with an offboard psu addition. I got to say the tray of my old girl does not wobble like that new one!
The real value is it's DAC, I'll be honest I think at its price point considering it has digital inputs, it's better than most standalone DACs at that price let alone it's a CD player. Gustard R26, Musetec 005 and damn near as good as my T+A200.
4 месяца назад
How about a $20 old DVD-burner and $10 Apple USB type C dongle?
It seems like it is a good time to get into higher end CD playback as there are a number of interesting options out there. SACD capability is still a sticking point for me as I have just enough of the things to want to use them. (And I don't get that segment of the audiophile world that denigrates the SACD format. These are the same folks that championed vinyl as a format when it was dead as a doornail. Why should I care if only 20-40 new titles get released in a year? They sound great.)
The problem is the SACDs released seem to be re-releases of the same old middle of the road Jazz and rock staples. Where's the new releases? Electronica? Metal?
@@Krell666 You are right, it would be nice if there was a wider variety of releases. That being said, if you keep an eye on it some releases do come out for less obvious albums. (Classical releases on SACD do not have that problem. There is variety there.)
This looks like a very interesting component. I have a Marantz CD50n, which does pretty much the same, plays cds, has digital inputs, could be used as a preamp and also has a streaming module. It’s sounds really good too, at least in my system. It might be a good option for those on a lower budget, it can currently be found for about 1500 euro in Europe.
Yes - I am seriously considering the Marantz CD50n which sits better within my budget than the TEAC, and as you point out, has the same functionality (CD player, DAC with inputs, headamp, nice dad remote) plus HDMI Arc input, and streaming functions (though HEOS is clunky - I'll stick with my network Roon endpoint).
let's not forget about their pro brand Tascam which was on top of the world back in the mid-eighties if i'm not mistaken. VRDS is a fantastic technology and a few others were doing great tech at the time. Whether made by Meridian or the manual tray with a magnetic puck made by Naim. they were more than a few notch above CD players using computer rather than audio tech. All in good old days.
Of course if you really want next level sound and you have the next level cables, next level anti vibration mounts,next level one's and zero's reader, you must of course get the gas levels in the room to the correct percentages, otherwise you just won't get to that next level.
Your comment on the flimsy loading tray resonated . In the past I've had reliability issues with Teac equipment and it makes me hesitant to try them again.
I have a question , i"m into buying a blue-ray player for 4k uhd movies (Panasonic DP-UB820EGK) and i wonder how good cd player is a blue-ray player like that Panasonic or should I have a dedicated cd player (similar priced) and why ?
I had a Teac VRDS 7 once, it needed a external DAC but it was a very good CD player. It was already old when I bought it. And sold it when the snare and lens failed.
What a beast! For me in Canada, the AUDIOLAB OMNIA was and is the better solution and much cheaper with a lot of the same quality and uses. I couldn't pay $5000 CDN for the 701. I would weep.
I was looking at the old Teac VRDS 25 that already had that flywheel/platter which is even more substantial. Those cd players look quite rigid and only need belt swaps every decade🤣 Thanks for some nice music tips. I am brainwashing myself with Leaving Laurel’s “When the quiet comes” at this moment👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you for this Episode. Seems to be a CD Player to stay for years. However, in this class, there are also some Players available supporting SACD Audio. Especially your Sponser T&A, Marantz, Denon have some. Also interesting would be if there is a lower version of this Teac Model and how different it is I think of the Marantz CD 60 for instance as a class below but still recommendable and more reachable for people not having so much money.
Esoteric is a luxury brand owned by teac. Similar analogy as Lexus to Toyota. VRDS is a mechanism introduced in high end models. Basically the cd is clamped while music is played.
Thanx for this review, might be just what I was looking for to replace my CA CXC.. I was eyeing the Hegel but never got to get over the slot loading mechanism, and the price..
It's a shame they don't mass produce good stuff anymore. A stereo should never be an expensive gimmick. Unlike amplifiers and speakers it's difficult to make your own cd player
I have the Black model and it is absolutely Awesome, Got a Great Discount on it , all you have to do is ask! It was still 3k, But Well Worth it! By the way 4 Times Upsample is a Notable difference! No way am I buying the external Clock, the built in Goodies are top-notch, but I am going to try and run my Node X through it! As it will give me another input to use on my Pioneer SX1280!!!!
John! Nice video as usual! Could you check AIAIAI TMA-2 Wireless+ Studio headphones and Unit-4 Wireless+ studio speakers please ? Low latency wireless transmission (stable 16ms), ideal for music producing and ok to dj with, or simply lossless quality on the go. They send CD quality wirelessly, both headphones and speakers. Double signal for stability. Thanks! Can’t wait to see your take on them and your precise analysis if ever you chose so! (Unit-4 vs LSX ?)
I wonder how would you like the lower level Teac units, e.g. NT505 streaming dac. Glad you tried out the clock too, I was wondering if they make any audible difference.
So John, would you go as far as to say that the Teac "Blow the Hegel out of the water" ? or did it just "Wipe the floor" with it ? Great content and I think this Teac warrants further comparisons with both lesser & higher priced units in future videos.
2:21 Aliens Ate My Buick in a paper sleeve. Is this a new release? I'm only aware of it in a jewel case. Most under-appreciated album of his, IMO Nice CD player, btw!
I’m curious how the TEAC 702 transport is. I’m happy using my old Sony Dvp9000es as a transport with my Benchmark Dac/pre but I fear its days are numbered. How does the TEAC cd player compare to the Shandling transport plus a $2K dac?
Thanks for the review, John. Hard to believe anyone would pay €2,500 for a CDP with a flimsy disc tray like that. I’ll take my €400 NAD without all the extra unnecessary ports and what not but with a firm disc tray over this TEAC every day.
The natural comparison for this Teac would be the Technics SL-G700m2, I wiuld definitely try the Teac but it does not play SACD - which the Technics does - and this is a deal-breaker for me.
Great review, it looks a value for money product. Unfortunately my CD was damaged by storm ingress of water, I was fortunate insured and listened to the Luxman 07X, Atoll Cd400, Marantz SA10. However, all had their merits, but found the Rega Isis valve. Such a joy to listen to the music, I stopped listening to the system but the music. This beautiful beast weighing at 19kg feeds directly into my Buchardt Anniversary 10 speakers, which I must thank you for you to introduce me to a new product I would never have considered. Thanks for all your reviews.😎👍🎵🎶
I wish that cd loading trays were better, smoother, stronger movement, with firmer feel and action. Would it really cost that much to make them that way? Anyway Darko can you tell me why you do not like slot loading players? I always liked how smooth they work. Thanks! Great stuff!
Okay, so I'm a CD guy and only purchased "expensive" interconnects for my Denon DCD-600 NE CD player. (In fact, the interconnects - simply amazing - were more costly than the Denon player. I liked this review and given CD's (and to some extent vinyl) are my preferred sources and are also my music collection, I'm curious if there's TEAC CD player without all the "streaming" stuff. I'm not opposed to streaming. I just won't get into another source format. I have no need. Any suggestions? Or, should I simply remain satisfied with the outstanding sound I already have found? (Woops, I think I answered my question as I typed it.) LOL
Are you sure that you're not quoting the 701 Transport price because the 701 CD player sells for $3800.00 here in the States, $2700.00 for the 701T. Yeah, Teac and their upscale Lexus partner, Esoteric Audio, make some expensive basically atomic clocks based on Rubidium(an isotope). I've heard the differences and they're real. I understand the new turntable has the option of improved performance with an external clock for an extra five grand which is a lot less than past models.
"This CD-player is for someone who has the money for it, someone who is looking to squeeze every last drop from an existing CD collection, whilst simultaneously elevating the performance of an outboard streaming device, all without setting their savings account on fire." ✅ It's on my shortlist, thanks John.
