Νέο (και ενδιαφέρον) transport από την PS Audio

[Κώστας Φ.]

Ωραίο το concept - αν και όχι ιδιαίτερα καινούργιο - αλλά η τιμή του μου φαίνεται λίγο τσιμπημένη... Με αυτά τα χρήματα φτιάχνω τούμπανο Music Server με SSD drives....


We stumbled upon this discreet looking CD transport at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest this past weekend. I had never seen it before, so I immediately started asking questions. Turns out it is so new that it doesn't even have a name yet.

This prototype from PS Audio has some very interesting features. The unit has a computer CD/DVD drive that it uses to buffer data off of the disk when loaded. It uses memory similar to computer RAM to very quickly load part of the CD into memory and plays the music solely from the copy in the memory. Of course once a CD is removed, the memory is cleared and ready for the next CD. This system of storing the data in memory is designed to nullify "jitter" and any other possible sound degradation derived from a normal CD player playing music directly from the disc.

Price will be under $2,000 and it is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2008. There will also be different wood options available.

audiojunkies.com

 

[Κώστας Φ.]

Απάντηση: Νέο (και ενδιαφέρον) transport από την PS Audio

Περισσότερες πληροφορίες για το transport και άλλα προϊόντα της PS Audio...

PS Audio, manufacturers of both high-end audio and AC power products, has announced their PowerPlay line of globally accessible AC power control centers and a new network memory CD transport ($1499 for transport). PS Audio will be showcasing five models of their PowerPlay line of AC power conditioners at the upcoming CES 2008.

The PowerPlay concept permits the complete control of an entire home theater system through any web based medium, including an iPhone or Blackberry phone from anywhere in the world. The system does not require special software nor a static IP and can be installed in under 60 seconds.

PS Audio's memory transport, as of yet unnamed, is the first in a new series of network addressable audio equipment from the company. The transport features true Exact Audio Copy (EAC) data acquisition, full memory playback, low jitter fixed clock output, built in Digital Lens, variable bit rate for Red Book CD's with upwards of 24-bits, upgradeable CODECS, access to internet meta data sources to display both cover art and track titles, wireless, USB and Ethernet port access to the outside world. This slot loaded TEAC drive makes inserting discs easy as a soft nylon ESD brush set in the opening of the slot loading mouth dissipates any static charge on the disc before it gets read. Error correction reporting is stated on the front panel and will display the quality of the data on any particular disc. PS Audio's new transport has a front panel with two inch color LCD display which, when the unit is connected to an internet connection, will go out and locate the cover art and song titles on the disc being played and display it on the front panel. If not connected to the internet, it will display indiviual time codes and track numbers. There will be a single knob in the center of the unit and a few touch buttons. The knob can be used to scroll through the song titles as well as menu items. Menu items include variable bit length so you can choose 16, 20, or 24 bit length for any CD playing.

enjoythemusic.com

 

[Gregm]

Ωραίο το concept - αν και όχι ιδιαίτερα καινούργιο - αλλά η τιμή του μου φαίνεται λίγο τσιμπημένη... Με αυτά τα χρήματα φτιάχνω τούμπανο Music Server με SSD drives....

Χμμμ, ναι. Όπως λες κι'εσύ όμως, με αυτα τα χρήματα...
Εκτός απ'το ωραίο κουτί - δυσεύρετο.

The unit has a computer CD/DVD drive that it uses to buffer data off of the disk when loaded. It uses memory similar to computer RAM to very quickly load part of the CD into memory and plays the music solely from the copy in the memory. Of course once a CD is removed, the memory is cleared and ready for the next CD

Κάτι μου διαφέυγει εδώ: τι το ιδιαίτερο προσφέρεται, ήγουν γιατί να ταγοράσω αφού όλα αυτά τάχω ήδη στο πισί μου;;

 

[Tidal__]

Ωραιο transport αλλα η ουσια είναι στο dac και σε ένα bufferακι!

 

[n_olympios]

"My wife warned me. 'UMP is a dumb name'. Well, turns out I never thought about Ultra Memory Player as an acronym and as such, it is indeed dumb. Sigh. Besides, it's not a player but a transport. Double sigh.

So one of our forum members suggested we have a naming contest: kind of like we did with the Coal to Coltrane video we produced.

So here's the deal. We need a name for the upcoming memory transport. If you suggest a name that we accept, then you will win a free memory transport out of the first batch due to arrive in late spring of this year, as well as be recognized in an upcoming newsletter.

Here are the details of the memory transport as we have it currently planned (subject to minor changes).

* True memory player. Reads the disc using a form of Exact Audio Copy to extract the data. Data is placed in memory and output from memory through a fixed low jitter clock. This is a true memory transport.
* Slot loader for the drive. This is a wonderful Teac unit that never touches the disc surface. When you place the CD into the drive, we have a very trick soft nylon ESD brush set in the opening of the slot loading mouth. These brushes dissipate any static charge on the disc before it gets read. The disc is gently handled by its edges and unlike a drawer, never touches any surface. This mechanism is closer to a top loader than anything else and reminds me of the way the old jukebox used to grab the edge of the vinyl disc and place it on the turntable spindle. It's very cool.
* Error correction reporting on the front panel. Will display the quality of the data on any particular disc.
* Ethernet and USB communication ports. These will allow you to connect the transport to the outside world, your computer or a NAS for storing perfectly RIP'd CD's that you can add to your library.
* Front panel has a two inch color LCD display which, when the unit is connected to an internet connection, will go out and locate the cover art and song titles on the disc being played and display it on the front panel. If not connected to the internet, it will display indiviual time codes and track numbers.
* The user interface will be simple, thorough and intuitive. There will be a single knob in the center of the unit and a few touch buttons. The knob can be used to scroll through the song titles as well as menu items.
* Menu items include variable bit length so you can choose 16, 20, or 24 bit length for any CD playing.
Dimensions are 17' wide by 14' deep and 2.5' tall.
* Expected US retail $1495
* It is gorgeous. One of the most beautiful pieces we have ever designed.

That's about all we can tell you for the moment, but I think it's enough to name it.

I think of this beauty as the 'Dream Machine' since the transport will represent the finest transport ever built by anyone at any price. There's never been anything like this piece and so we need a name that goes along with that grandeur."

Τάδε (κι άλλα ακόμα) έφη ο κύριος Paul McGowan (δηλαδή η PS Audio αυτοπροσώπως) στο http://www.psaudio.com/newsletters/12-07.asp.

 

[Κώστας Φ.]

Έτοιμο το update!

The PS Audio Memory Link ($1695) is a CD/DVD/RAM drive. It's a mechanical player (ie, it still spins the discs), but it has an unusually large cache. Conventional players have caches of around 8–16MB, the Memory Link has a 64MB cache. Why is this better?

Paul McGowan says the larger cache—about three minutes worth of music—allows the processor to handle larger "packets" of information, which in itself reduces the amount of timing jitter. The data is put through a digital lens with output jitter measured as low as 0.5ps.

The Memory Link runs Linux and, McGowan says, will be able to harvest metadata and album art off the Internet, as well as rip CDs to a music server. There's a small display on its front panel which can display art or text.

We asked which music service PS was using for metadata and album art. McGowan told us PS would write its own software to do that, which strikes us as a fairly ambitious for what is essentially an engineering company.

The Memory link gas a full complement of outputs, HDMI (for I2S). Ethernet, USB, TOSlink, AES/EBU, and S/PDIF RCA.

A similarly priced DAC is in the works, McGowan said.

It will ship by summer, McGowan said.


Πηγή: Stereophile.com