CD Transports

A CD transport reads your discs and sends the digital signal to a separate DAC, leaving the conversion to a converter you've chosen yourself. Our range runs from Audiolab, Mission and Pro-Ject transports to top-loading Shanling designs with I2S outputs, for listeners who already own a DAC they like or plan to build a system around one.

Match the transport's outputs to your DAC

The connection is the first decision, because a transport is only as useful as the inputs on the converter it feeds. Coaxial and optical S/PDIF are the common ground: the Mission 778CDT offers both, as does the Shanling CR60.

From there the options widen. The Shanling ET3 adds AES/EBU, USB and I2S outputs, with up to PCM 768kHz/32-bit and DSD512 over I2S and USB, plus All-to-DSD and All-to-PCM conversion. The Shanling CT90 offers I2S with ten selectable pinout modes alongside USB and AES outputs. I2S pinouts vary between DAC makers, so being able to choose the pinout is the point. If you're still choosing a converter, our DACs are the other half of this decision.

Compact, top-loading and SACD transports

Audiolab's 6000CDT uses a slot-loading mechanism derived from the Audiolab 8300CD, while the Audiolab 7000CDT and Mission 778CDT both add USB hard drive playback, so one box can serve discs and a file library. The Mission 778CDT also gives its transport, laser, decoder and TCXO master clock their own low-noise supplies. The Audiolab 9000CDT also plays files from USB storage, the Advance Paris X-D500 adds AES/EBU alongside coaxial and optical, and the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T rounds out the range.

Shanling's CT90 and ET3 both load from the top, and the ET3 is the compact CD transport of the pair. The Shanling ONIX Zenith XST20 goes further as an SACD and CD transport, sending native DSD64 from SACD over I2S, with six digital outputs including AES/EBU and BNC. If your library needs archiving as well, the Shanling CR60 is a transport and lossless CD ripper in one compact box.

Questions we get asked

Do I need a DAC with a transport?

Yes. A transport has no digital-to-analogue converter of its own, so it needs a DAC, or an amplifier or streamer with digital inputs, to turn its output into something your speakers can play. Check which digital inputs your converter has before choosing, and we can help match the two.

What's the best CD transport?

The one whose outputs suit your DAC. If your converter only takes coaxial or optical, a transport with I2S won't use its main strength, and if it has an I2S input, the Shanling CT90 or ET3 makes more sense. Tell us your converter and we'll narrow the list.

Can I use a CD player as a transport?

Often, yes. Many of our CD players have coaxial or optical outputs and can feed an external DAC, so you can keep the player's own conversion as a fallback. A dedicated transport simply leaves out the DAC and analogue stage altogether. For Super Audio CD playback with built-in conversion, see our SACD players.

Our team can talk through your DAC's inputs and the right transport for it by phone or message. You can also visit the Murarrie showroom, with demos arranged by calling or messaging first.