Great primer for digital equipment. Future Audiophile for Beginners: What are vinyls and how do we play them. When you're talking about audiophile equipment, vinyl playback should probably get a mention considering it's what got the ball rolling in the first place. Good excuse for a buddy video.
Hey Randy, thinking about getting into this as a hobby and after watching a few videos i got a little discouraged because I couldn’t use the informations i was getting. Then I found your channel and you really put things into a perspective and deliver great information at the same time. Thanks for that, great video!
Well Randy I’ve been involved in this hobby for many years and have owned some pretty high-end gear but you are a really great asset to this community. Your funny dry humor is greatly appreciated. If I could make a prediction it would be that within five years you will have expanded into higher end gear. You’re doing a great service for the beginners nonetheless
I'm just getting back into the hobby and CD transport had me confused also. Then mix in all of the streaming stuff available and now I'm really scratching my head. Great video!
Nice video Randy, good information to keep anyone from feeling left out of the conversation. This is a good area with lots of opportunity to expand the topics available. Keep them coming.
Hey Randy, I just ordered the Elac UB 5.2 based on your recommendation. I picked it up from Crutchfield in an open box deal. I ended up getting a UB5.2 center channel as well and with some gift cards, I ended up only paying 600 for all 3 speakers. As soon as they're delivered I'm going to figure out how much I'd like to donate. Your videos are amazing and I wish you all the success youtube has to offer!
Please do not get me wrong, I do appreciate you content and that you apprear to be currntly under the influce of somthing or on the rebound. It actually brings a level of authenticity to these reiew vieos, that is often left out.
Greetings from Aberdeen Scotland,Great video and Chanel in general, I’ve recently become a seeker of “ great sound” and between your good self ,Steve Gutenberg and John Darko, I’ve bought my new pieces , speakers Klipsch 600, Emotiva TA1 , Bluesound node 3 and a few new headphones, including Hifiman,Grado & Stenheiser Oh I prefer tea to coffees. Keeping it real All the best. Alan 🎶
Just bought a pair of nice headphones. I'm slowly getting into enthusiast audio. This video really helped me get acquainted with the verbage. Thank you!
Thank you Randy. For everything! I remember seeing one of your videos and (my bad, ok) wrote you off like a effin crazy person. Came back after zero fidelitys shout out and fell in fucking love!! You are great at what you do and in my opinion we need more of what you do for sure. So much Knowledge, humor and warmth. Not so common when it comes to this type of videos if you ask me! And to be clear I am a male from Sweden with kids and a wife and all that stuff, i am about your age, but i truly love the shit you dooooooo! Keep it up😁🥂
Got into audiophile stuff a while ago and started watching reviews of equipment and had no idea what they went by bright, dark, veiled and so on. Gald I found this video and some more that explains.
0:40 My mom says when I came out of the womb, the doctor smacked my bottom and instead of crying I yelled, "ABX!" So he smacked me bum two more times and I had to say whether the 3rd smack was the same as the first or second smack. Nailed it.
My main man, teaching the masses. U think you did great. Hope you do more of these. Deeper explainations about DAC units and the advantage of using these new small external input devices. Maybe explain all these different codecs. Thanks
a year later, still finding this helpful. Always thought CD Transport was just people saying CD Player and being pretentious. Turns out I was kinda right :p Would love to see an updated version of this with your new found video skills. Thanks!
As always - great job my friend! THIS is what separates you from the rest! Just like having a conversation with your buddy - no judgements, just knowledge. Bella says Hi Randy!!!
Finally, I am new to all this and I am learning through listening stuff I don't understand trying to figure out... And here comes the best possible video for me. So sorry I can't like this video like 100 times...
Excellent video...suggestion for another video: "Understanding amp power" Doubling amp power = +3db. Doubling apparent loudness to the human ear = +10db. 400% increase in amplifier watts to double apparent sound level.
Good explanation video. I see Cassettes are making a comeback for reasons I can't fathom. If they get more popular you'll have to update this with a " wow & flutter" explanation. I'm still waiting for the episode that explains to old farts like me & DM who came of age before the digital age. I'm still stuck on the fence and overwhelmed by options on where to dive into that world. I do love my physical media, but the digital convenience looks very appealing.
@@ricksmith7659 it was a joke about something that was said on the Ron and Randy audio hour a few weeks ago. Just that sometimes the descriptors come across sort of silly.
The power comment is spot on.... I bought these dumb crown amplifiers and that was probably the stupidest move ever made now I own two I'm really thinking about selling them I've dropped down to one running in stereo it's out of control I don't listen that loud sometimes
Your passion for audio definitely comes across . For a beginner guide like this, maybe use pictures to show how the things you describe connect and fit into a complete system. Great job still.
3:12 voice is 1k-2k? that's 2-3 octaves above middle C (256hz). That's very high for the fundamental, but yes I guess a lot of the important harmonics will be up there?
Absolutely awesome thank you so much for sharing the audio dictionary well the start of the auto dictionary with us it is greatly appreciated and dude you’re so freaking awesome
This is all kinda new to me, I’m learning. I really didn’t know what a preamp was, or that there is a difference between dac sound quality before I started watching videos. I really don’t know what sound stage and imaging is on speakers. Thanks for the video
This is great. I'm going to be honest and say I never knew a transport did not have a built-in dac.. I thought it was just a fancy way of saying CD player shows how smart I am
Hi Randy, you're one of my favorite reviewers, but I think you have some misconceptions about speaker impedance and ease to drive a speaker. You said that the higher the sensitivity and the higher the impedance, the easier it is to drive. That is true about sensitivity, but not about impedance. In fact, most amps will make more power with a lower impedance speaker. If my amp, puts out 40 watts into 8 ohms, It would likely put out 60 watts into 6 ohm, so If you left the volume knob in the same position on your amp and switched between an 8ohm/88db speaker, and a 6ohm/88db speaker, the 6ohm speakers would be louder. The reason why people sometimes say low impedance speakers are harder to drive is because it is more possible to over-drive an amp with a lower impedance speaker, but you would have to turn the volume up louder than a high impedance speaker is even capable of going on a given amp to do it.
I understand the ab-A-d rated work.The B rated a slightly more distortion,so they say.From the way they operate in the 2 way and spacial operation. Does ab have less distortion because of there operation method? Thanks,your hysterical, and knowledgeable, great combo, I play drums, last set Donor🎧🎶🤘
Helloooo. Love whats your doing. What it all the hype about balanced headphone cables. You need a new headphone amp for that or ? I’m a newbee around headphones. Maybe you could make a video about this 🥴😘😂 Take care. Love’n’joy. Søren
Hi there, The follow up video must have a classroom scenario. You can color the board, you can explain better what you mean with the words you use to talk about speakers, amps, sources. Just an idea!! Kind regards from Porrugal.
I consider“fatiguing” as more of a feeling that someone has cupped hands over your ears so everything sounds a bit muffled for a while, similar to if you’ve ever experienced a PA or guitar amp squeal from feedback. It can be as varied as gradually coming on after a few minutes or so, or as extreme as actually hurting immediately. KEF LS50’s and some old Boston Acoustics speakers up close are fatiguing to me.
I've got a "B" rated, not ab,not d rated, Elite Pioneer 94 ,av receiver, 140-7watts,sounds really good, 07model still sounds great, My speakers are Elac Unified 2.0 ub52 running in 2 channel mode,Receiver sounds great and love the Elacs,my question is are ab,receivers better quality then B -d receivers? And are they still making B receivers.? Thanks
Good video..thanks still a little confused about DACs. I have a CD Transport..ok, Transport to DAC to Int AMP. I have a Streamer with a built in DAC (Cambridge CXN V2) I bought a Geshelli J2 upon your recommendation. How do I hook up the streamer to the new DAC to by-pass the internal DAC in the streamer? Does this even make sense?
something that might help out as well, is some of the connections. i am thinking about putting nicer equipment on my computer desktop, but am unsure how to make the connections.
Hey Randy, great information, thank you for putting it together. Any chance you have with written down any where? If you think about putting a book together, I would buy a copy.
What about using a blu ray player as a cd player / transport via hdmi into a receiver. Is that a digital out or does it go through the players dac to transfer the signal to the receiver??
New Guy- I am absolutely new to audio equipment. I have made some serious mistakes. Not qualified to comment, need advice. I have a pair of klipsh r51 pm speakers. I need to add an appropriate subwoofer. THANKS
Hey Randy, have you thought about checking out the Wharfedale D320? It's the same size cabinet, sensitivity, and power handling as the Diamond 12.1, but it's woofer actually goes lower, and it uses the woven Kevlar woofer like the previous Diamond lines instead of the newer woofer design, but is only $249, $150 less than the 12.1. It looks on paper to have the potential to be one of the class leaders at that price.
Could you do a glossary of the terms used to describe a Speaker's sound characteristics ? I know you do it on a per speaker basis, but I was wonder if you could make a compellation of all the terms with how they show up in well known songs. Apologies in advance if it's already out there and I just haven't found it yet. One example where I think I understand is how you describe Nasally with a horn. Is that like the 1kHZ that I turn up on an EQ to make everything sound like swimming pool speakers ?? :)
The power game was so out of control that in the 70s the FTC required the amp makers to publish their power ratings as watts RMS (continuous, because an amp can put out a lot more than their continuous power for a millisecond at a single frequency, so some makers would spec their 10 watt amps as 100 watts, or their 100 watt amps as 1000, because they could do that for a fraction of a second at a single frequency) with both channels driven from 20-20khz and at what distortion level (1% is pretty high, 1/10 of 1% is more reasonable, for good clear sound. However, tube amps may produce more than that). Then, when the home theater multi channel receivers became popular that all fell by the wayside, and they stopped enforcing it. So now for instance, many receivers that say they are 100 watts per channel are really only capable of that for the front two channels, and put out much less for the other channels.
Hey Randy question so if the digital Cox looks the same as an RCA but is different do I need to use a special cable or can I just use an RCA cable? Great video as always keep up the good work.
I have a question: What's the easiest way to capture digital audio from toslink output (bit perfect)? I need to capture it from some laserdiscs of concerts I love that have never been released on DVD. Only VHS and laserdisc.
Would sending my Blu-ray to my TV via HDMI, and then my TV to a DAC via optical result in a (reasonably) pure digital signal getting from my Blu-ray to my DAC?
Most CD players have optical out as well as RCA out so can be used as a Transport. I have an ancient Pioneer CD player that holds a 100 CDs. It has optical out so I bypass its ancient DAC and use it as a transport into my Onkyo receiver, which has a decent modern DAC. Sound s great. Thanks Randy, good intro into what can be a confusing hobby.
I love this type of video. I’m new in the hobby and really enjoy the angle you explain things from.
Lol...don't do it!! Its a never ending quest
@@ufarkingicehole thats the point 😈
Great primer for digital equipment. Future Audiophile for Beginners: What are vinyls and how do we play them. When you're talking about audiophile equipment, vinyl playback should probably get a mention considering it's what got the ball rolling in the first place. Good excuse for a buddy video.
Hey Randy,
thinking about getting into this as a hobby and after watching a few videos i got a little discouraged because I couldn’t use the informations i was getting. Then I found your channel and you really put things into a perspective and deliver great information at the same time.
Thanks for that, great video!
Great video and information for not only beginners but for everyone so we can make sure we are all describing things correctly in helping others
Well Randy I’ve been involved in this hobby for many years and have owned some pretty high-end gear but you are a really great asset to this community. Your funny dry humor is greatly appreciated. If I could make a prediction it would be that within five years you will have expanded into higher end gear. You’re doing a great service for the beginners nonetheless
Define high end
Thanks you so much for demystifying audiophile terms. Powered by these i have started my journey to get my very first setup!
I love that definition of CD Transport. Perfection.
I'm just getting back into the hobby and CD transport had me confused also. Then mix in all of the streaming stuff available and now I'm really scratching my head. Great video!
Nice video Randy, good information to keep anyone from feeling left out of the conversation. This is a good area with lots of opportunity to expand the topics available. Keep them coming.
Hey Randy, I just ordered the Elac UB 5.2 based on your recommendation. I picked it up from Crutchfield in an open box deal. I ended up getting a UB5.2 center channel as well and with some gift cards, I ended up only paying 600 for all 3 speakers. As soon as they're delivered I'm going to figure out how much I'd like to donate.
Your videos are amazing and I wish you all the success youtube has to offer!
This video had good pace and rhythm with an airy transparency and a quick, punchy bass.
Please do not get me wrong, I do appreciate you content and that you apprear to be currntly under the influce of somthing or on the rebound. It actually brings a level of authenticity to these reiew vieos, that is often left out.
Very informative channel for beginners and non beginners I subscribe The guy sounds very straightforward forward love this channel😊😊😊
Amazing talk. Taking it all in one minute at a time!
Greetings from Aberdeen Scotland,Great video and Chanel in general, I’ve recently become a seeker of “ great sound” and between your good self ,Steve Gutenberg and John Darko, I’ve bought my new pieces , speakers Klipsch 600, Emotiva TA1 , Bluesound node 3 and a few new headphones, including Hifiman,Grado & Stenheiser
Oh I prefer tea to coffees. Keeping it real
All the best. Alan 🎶
Just bought a pair of nice headphones. I'm slowly getting into enthusiast audio. This video really helped me get acquainted with the verbage. Thank you!
Thank you Randy. For everything! I remember seeing one of your videos and (my bad, ok) wrote you off like a effin crazy person. Came back after zero fidelitys shout out and fell in fucking love!! You are great at what you do and in my opinion we need more of what you do for sure. So much Knowledge, humor and warmth. Not so common when it comes to this type of videos if you ask me! And to be clear I am a male from Sweden with kids and a wife and all that stuff, i am about your age, but i truly love the shit you dooooooo! Keep it up😁🥂
Got into audiophile stuff a while ago and started watching reviews of equipment and had no idea what they went by bright, dark, veiled and so on. Gald I found this video and some more that explains.
Thanks for the video. Your channel is my new Audiopedia!
The Altec Lansing Nano phones ANC are audiophile grade headphones over Bluetooth with ANC turned on!! They sound absolutely fantastic
Best and most important video I've seen from you. Now I can understand the rest.
0:40 My mom says when I came out of the womb, the doctor smacked my bottom and instead of crying I yelled, "ABX!" So he smacked me bum two more times and I had to say whether the 3rd smack was the same as the first or second smack. Nailed it.
Really appreciate this. Lots of terms being tossed around (and that's OK!) so it's good to have an entry point for that.
All other explanation videos have either made fun of a lot of the terms, or was guys pontifibating about the terms. This is perfect.
Coax cable is an 75 ohm cable with RCA style terminations (plugs). The 75 ohm cable resistance is the key difference.
This is the most useful video ever! So much jargon, so well explained.
Awesome video Randy. Easy to understand and will definitely help new audiophiles with many of these terms we toss around.
My main man, teaching the masses. U think you did great. Hope you do more of these. Deeper explainations about DAC units and the advantage of using these new small external input devices. Maybe explain all these different codecs.
Thanks
Thanks!
Thank you so much for supporting the channel!
Great Review 👍 This kind of information Needs to be put out by all reviewers.
a year later, still finding this helpful. Always thought CD Transport was just people saying CD Player and being pretentious. Turns out I was kinda right :p Would love to see an updated version of this with your new found video skills. Thanks!
As always - great job my friend! THIS is what separates you from the rest! Just like having a conversation with your buddy - no judgements, just knowledge. Bella says Hi Randy!!!
What’s up, G.
A great introduction to hi-fi.
Finally, I am new to all this and I am learning through listening stuff I don't understand trying to figure out... And here comes the best possible video for me. So sorry I can't like this video like 100 times...
Excellent video...suggestion for another video: "Understanding amp power" Doubling amp power = +3db. Doubling apparent loudness to the human ear = +10db. 400% increase in amplifier watts to double apparent sound level.
Good explanation video.
I see Cassettes are making a comeback for reasons I can't fathom.
If they get more popular you'll have to update this with a " wow & flutter" explanation.
I'm still waiting for the episode that explains to old farts like me & DM who came of age before the digital age.
I'm still stuck on the fence and overwhelmed by options on where to dive into that world.
I do love my physical media, but the digital convenience looks very appealing.
Bravo Randy !
Well done as the norm 👍🏻
This is a solidly great informative video, thank you and keep this up.
Thank you Randy! Very good explanation.
Very good Randy, it can be confusing if you are just starting out in this hobby.
My first car was a '62 VW Beetle.
It cost less than most of the equipment you review. 😀
Great video very insightful thank you.
Love your teaching style. Great content!
First car! Mine - 1979 Dodge Aspen, which was brown and had the nickname "Brown Sickness"!!!, oh, and it cost me $220.00 (and Canadian $'s at that!)
sorry for nitpicking:
resistance =/= impedance
Love your stuff man
Love it. Though you didn’t mention “musical” speakers, as opposed to non musical speakers. Love the cd transport explanation.
You tell me the difference please ?
@@ricksmith7659 it was a joke about something that was said on the Ron and Randy audio hour a few weeks ago. Just that sometimes the descriptors come across sort of silly.
@@PunkasFolk Lol. I was thinking it was a joke with the quotations. But had to ask anyway
Great video! Thank You!
The power comment is spot on.... I bought these dumb crown amplifiers and that was probably the stupidest move ever made now I own two I'm really thinking about selling them I've dropped down to one running in stereo it's out of control I don't listen that loud sometimes
Your passion for audio definitely comes across . For a beginner guide like this, maybe use pictures to show how the things you describe connect and fit into a complete system. Great job still.
1:30 - You could start your acronym with Power if you want to wimp out.
Very good sir ! Thank you.
The intro with his first car reminded me of Max from airplanefactswithmax.
3:12 voice is 1k-2k? that's 2-3 octaves above middle C (256hz). That's very high for the fundamental, but yes I guess a lot of the important harmonics will be up there?
VERY well explained.
Absolutely awesome thank you so much for sharing the audio dictionary well the start of the auto dictionary with us it is greatly appreciated and dude you’re so freaking awesome
Love it sir! Great video. 👍
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Great video!
Great video.
Very Helpful thanks !!👍
This is all kinda new to me, I’m learning. I really didn’t know what a preamp was, or that there is a difference between dac sound quality before I started watching videos. I really don’t know what sound stage and imaging is on speakers. Thanks for the video
Not a beginner but enjoyed this video none the less!
This was really useful. I wish is come across it a few years ago
I've got a pair of Kanto Tuk's which include a 130 watt RMS power amp, a preamp, a dac and a DSP
My first car was a brand new 1971 VW Beetle that my parents got me when I turned 16. That's how spoiled I was, and how old I am, lol
Cheap audio Man; making audio fun for everyone since...2020?
Good stuff for good people.
Thank you.. sir
My first vehicle was a 81 Ford Ranger that I bought in 95 for $500. I guess I'm way way way over budget on my stereo.
Thanks for this one!
Great video more please
This is great. I'm going to be honest and say I never knew a transport did not have a built-in dac.. I thought it was just a fancy way of saying CD player shows how smart I am
you're not alone. I thought the same thing for a while.
Hi Randy, you're one of my favorite reviewers, but I think you have some misconceptions about speaker impedance and ease to drive a speaker. You said that the higher the sensitivity and the higher the impedance, the easier it is to drive. That is true about sensitivity, but not about impedance.
In fact, most amps will make more power with a lower impedance speaker. If my amp, puts out 40 watts into 8 ohms, It would likely put out 60 watts into 6 ohm, so If you left the volume knob in the same position on your amp and switched between an 8ohm/88db speaker, and a 6ohm/88db speaker, the 6ohm speakers would be louder.
The reason why people sometimes say low impedance speakers are harder to drive is because it is more possible to over-drive an amp with a lower impedance speaker, but you would have to turn the volume up louder than a high impedance speaker is even capable of going on a given amp to do it.
I understand the ab-A-d rated work.The B rated a slightly more distortion,so they say.From the way they operate in the 2 way and spacial operation. Does ab have less distortion because of there operation method? Thanks,your hysterical, and knowledgeable, great combo, I play drums, last set Donor🎧🎶🤘
Thanx !!!
Helloooo. Love whats your doing.
What it all the hype about balanced headphone cables.
You need a new headphone amp for that or ?
I’m a newbee around headphones.
Maybe you could make a video about this 🥴😘😂
Take care. Love’n’joy. Søren
FuKYeah RANDY. We build em from the ground up rounhere. Nice
Hi there,
The follow up video must have a classroom scenario. You can color the board, you can explain better what you mean with the words you use to talk about speakers, amps, sources.
Just an idea!!
Kind regards from Porrugal.
I consider“fatiguing” as more of a feeling that someone has cupped hands over your ears so everything sounds a bit muffled for a while, similar to if you’ve ever experienced a PA or guitar amp squeal from feedback. It can be as varied as gradually coming on after a few minutes or so, or as extreme as actually hurting immediately. KEF LS50’s and some old Boston Acoustics speakers up close are fatiguing to me.
I've got a "B" rated, not ab,not d rated, Elite Pioneer 94 ,av receiver, 140-7watts,sounds really good, 07model still sounds great, My speakers are Elac Unified 2.0 ub52 running in 2 channel mode,Receiver sounds great and love the Elacs,my question is are ab,receivers better quality then B -d receivers? And are they still making B receivers.? Thanks
To me Warm= woody, smooth.
Bright= Brassy, strident.
Good video..thanks still a little confused about DACs. I have a CD Transport..ok, Transport to DAC to Int AMP. I have a Streamer with a built in DAC (Cambridge CXN V2) I bought a Geshelli J2 upon your recommendation. How do I hook up the streamer to the new DAC to by-pass the internal DAC in the streamer? Does this even make sense?
something that might help out as well, is some of the connections. i am thinking about putting nicer equipment on my computer desktop, but am unsure how to make the connections.
good point. I can do that
4:27 language! ~ steve rogers
I learned about of axis from you
Hey Randy, great information, thank you for putting it together. Any chance you have with written down any where? If you think about putting a book together, I would buy a copy.
What about using a blu ray player as a cd player / transport via hdmi into a receiver. Is that a digital out or does it go through the players dac to transfer the signal to the receiver??
Yup. That would do it
New Guy- I am absolutely new to audio equipment. I have made some serious mistakes. Not qualified to comment, need advice. I have a pair of klipsh r51 pm speakers. I need to add an appropriate subwoofer. THANKS
Hey Randy, have you thought about checking out the Wharfedale D320? It's the same size cabinet, sensitivity, and power handling as the Diamond 12.1, but it's woofer actually goes lower, and it uses the woven Kevlar woofer like the previous Diamond lines instead of the newer woofer design, but is only $249, $150 less than the 12.1. It looks on paper to have the potential to be one of the class leaders at that price.
Could you do a glossary of the terms used to describe a Speaker's sound characteristics ? I know you do it on a per speaker basis, but I was wonder if you could make a compellation of all the terms with how they show up in well known songs. Apologies in advance if it's already out there and I just haven't found it yet.
One example where I think I understand is how you describe Nasally with a horn. Is that like the 1kHZ that I turn up on an EQ to make everything sound like swimming pool speakers ?? :)
CD Transport could also have an AES/EBU XLR out
And I think the most important term for beginners is SNAKE OIL..
Thanks for the video. If you do more like this, could different in/outs, rca, spdif etc and why you might choose one over the other?
The power game was so out of control that in the 70s the FTC required the amp makers to publish their power ratings as watts RMS (continuous, because an amp can put out a lot more than their continuous power for a millisecond at a single frequency, so some makers would spec their 10 watt amps as 100 watts, or their 100 watt amps as 1000, because they could do that for a fraction of a second at a single frequency) with both channels driven from 20-20khz and at what distortion level (1% is pretty high, 1/10 of 1% is more reasonable, for good clear sound. However, tube amps may produce more than that). Then, when the home theater multi channel receivers became popular that all fell by the wayside, and they stopped enforcing it. So now for instance, many receivers that say they are 100 watts per channel are really only capable of that for the front two channels, and put out much less for the other channels.
Hey Randy question so if the digital Cox looks the same as an RCA but is different do I need to use a special cable or can I just use an RCA cable? Great video as always keep up the good work.
Great video. I want more videos. Or just hire you to buy my stuff for me. Haha
I have a question: What's the easiest way to capture digital audio from toslink output (bit perfect)? I need to capture it from some laserdiscs of concerts I love that have never been released on DVD. Only VHS and laserdisc.
that's a great question and unfortunately, I don't have an answer for you on that one.
Would sending my Blu-ray to my TV via HDMI, and then my TV to a DAC via optical result in a (reasonably) pure digital signal getting from my Blu-ray to my DAC?
yes. you maybe able to do an optical or digital right out of the blueray but the way you're saying will work too
@@cheapaudioman Thank you!
Cheap ~ Audio ~ Man ~ CAM. In the mechanics of a loom they say that the cam is the fruit. This is just fyi, Randy.
TL:DW. Did you finally explain what "crunchy" means? 😉
Most CD players have optical out as well as RCA out so can be used as a Transport. I have an ancient Pioneer CD player that holds a 100 CDs. It has optical out so I bypass its ancient DAC and use it as a transport into my Onkyo receiver, which has a decent modern DAC. Sound s great. Thanks Randy, good intro into what can be a confusing hobby.