CD Playback at its FINEST? Jays Audio CDT3 MKIII and DAC 2 MKIII Review.

You can buy lots of used CDs for peanuts from Amazon. Also, you're perfectly right about listening to a whole CD, there's something special about sitting down and letting the whole album take you for a journey that the artist wanted you to experience.
Anyway, some say that Pro-Ject CD Box RS2T is an even better transport, sporting the latest (meaning, available for many years to come), most advanced CD mechanism used by really hi end companies, at a fraction of the price.

Will this unit play CR-R’s

Cd's are so cheap these days if you go for the old stuff :)

KISS fans rejoice!!
What an unusual choice for a review! That does it, Jay's Audio just made my upgrade list!
Very well done, a huge surprise!
Please carry on!

Thank you. I do however wish you would’ve spoken much more about same-track-back-to-back comparisons between cd and streaming.

12 month warranty does not scream " I believe in my product" . Sorry but it is true.  Made where? Missed the CD price but gonna guess $2k.

May seem like a silly question but wondering... is there's any difficulty taking CDs out of the transport? I'm used to the standard trays where you can just grasp the sides of the disc.

Sound demo please. Would love to hear this play through the Deville's.

It looks like my YBA cd 1, blue laser, cd cover, and hard cover. When I upgraded it to dual power supplies, it became the best sounding cd player. I’m interested in hearing how the CDT2 would compare to the YBA. Great looking player.

Out of touch with real world....

I don't stream, i only play cd through my wonderfull cec TL5 transport(also top loading) into my Gryphon amplifier/dac

how does the sound quality compare to your best streaming rig?

Thanks for showing. Jay's Audio CDT2 is half the price btw. The '2' has top grade parts, the '3' is more 'boutique' (e.g. oven controlled oscilator) throughout. This is the priciest transport I've seen - interesting the DAC is cheaper than Denafrips and Holo's top lines.

10K=c.250 LPs or Jays T+D and c.250 discs(used)

Look at Accuphase Luxman and esoteric if you want to compare. Not saying this Jay audio is sub par build but I experienced these brands players and I had no complaints and think they are the reference in build. So maybe you are a little over enthusiastic about the build of the jays.

What is a redbook CD?

Choosy CD player

Great to hear your opinion, next level transport is the Pro-ject rs2 t cd transport.

Very nice! I have a large CD collection and dedicated transport the Audiolab 6000CDT to a Denafrips Ares II DAC. I'd love to be able to AB with this group!

It looks like a very nice CD player but with a price tag of over five thousand dollars (and that doesn't include a dac) I just can't see why anyone would want this even at half the price.

I just bought their cheaper CDT2-MK3, and I am blown away by its sound quality.
It blows away my previous Cambridge Audio CXC Transport by far.
I never knew transports can make sound quality difference this much.
This unit goes to Denafrips Hermes DDC-->Denafrips Venus II DAC.

Cd sounds better than streaming for sure ..

Magnifico.

Tape is king but you have to know how to use tapes and the equipment to play them. Not for amateurs

A/D Converter,
Here's an upgraded cable modem A/D converter to feed an ethernet equipped streamer. Motorola DOCSIS 3.1 32X8 3.0Gbps.
Should be a solid audio upgrade.

for $5K I expect SACD read.

Made in China, not Japan

Will this play the CD layer of hybrid SACD/CDs like the Rolling Stones remasters from '02?

It's hard to pull off "form follows function"...

Great review once more! How do you compare this DAC with ifi audio pro idsd signature ? Could JAY´s DCA 2 MKIII enter on your top ten DACs ? Regards

EMM Labs, nuff said

I much prefer my now 20 years old Krell KPS 28c playback system …with the best inbuilt DAC ever produced : an armada of four (4!) Burr Brown DAC‘s. All American glory and quality…not cheap China crap in a high gloss package. And soundwise the Krell CD player is unrivaled until these days!

Over priced despite Chinese

I have a "Shanling CDT 100T" Valve top Loading HDCD Player with built in Valve Headphone output..It can also switch between 24/96 KHZ and 44.1 KHZ outputs and both Valve and Standard outputs so has 2 sets of Phono sockets..Made in China as Shanling is a Chinese company. Bought new in 2005 for £1,750. Like yours built beautifully and very heavy. Great Videos, thanks!

I have been in this audio hobby for about 30+ years. CDs are my favorite source of music. I have about 1000+ CDs. I don't have the budget to buy this CDT3-MK3 at $5000. But I was lucky enough to find a used mint CDT2-MK3 for $1700. It was the best $1700 I have ever spent on a component. It replaced my Cambridge Audio CXC Transport. The detail is absolutely stunning. Currently, I am using Denafrips Venus II, but upgrading to the Terminator II. The Jays Audio CDT2-MK3 is without a doubt, my endgame CD transport (Unless I find a great deal on CDT3-MK3 someday).

That CD transport sounds real nice and all, but that KISS box set in the guitar case . . . 🔥🔥🔥☄️☄️

how's about DAC2-mk3 as the DAC? especially the sound quality comparing to musician Aquarius and denafrips termniator plus.

Can you connect this CD transport directly to an amplifier?

A friend of mine showed off his latest iPhone and iMAC , praising how great Apple products are, and how fantastic US had created the best phones in the world. One day there's a problem with his phone and is not functioning for a reason, he said that Chinxxx has terrible craftsmanship and they made low grade products.

It better be the finest at $5000!!!!

Carbon Fiber disk on top of CD. Excellent !!!

Finest!? Of course not!

Nice review thanks

Serious question: Based on how you tested it, how sure are you that any of this effect can be attributed to the transport as separate from the DAC?

I have the CDT3-MK3 and it is truly an end game CD transport. I currently have mine going through a Chord M-Scaler and DAVE. As a whole, it is very detailed and great per all our usual audiophile standards. I don’t think that it is mandatory to get the Jay’s Audio DAC. But I think any high quality DAC will do .

It’s CHIFI💩, for a few hundred more, seriously consider the Moon 260D player, an optional built-in DAC is available. Asian electronics all borrow shelf-stocked parts from one another, buy US, UK or CAN gear, get equipment that’s been specialized built & not generic.

Can't understand a top loading CD player with the controls on the front.

Why not rip the cd 1 time and play it forever from HD?

$5,000? Lol, only a fool would by it.

24/192 on discs played on a high end transport is the way to go if you want the best sound quality available.