In comparison, playing the CD in the Transport is like listening to a completely different recording or performance. The acoustic is capacious, utterly transparent and velvety black. Dynamics are sudden and instruments have a defined location and extent, with definite edges where, on the Server, they bleed off into the intermediate space. More importantly, there is both a solid presence and temporal authority that drives the performance, investing it with musical substance, purpose and intent. Ibragimova’s playing is full of purpose and intensity, a deeply emotional performance that achieves its full expressive range on the transport. In comparison the Server sounds pale and muted, aimless and lacking drama. Take the final movement as an example: where the Server sounds muddled, uncontrolled and hurried, especially in the solo part, the Transport is bold and demonstrative. The timps that constantly punctuate the music are precisely located, the recording capturing their volume and the cushion of energised air above their skins. The solo instrument goes from pell-mell to brilliantly agile, poised and utterly in control, full of vigour and emotional intent. There really is no comparison.
Even playing Music For a While (Christina Pluhar and L’Arpeggiata, from Erato – an 88.2kHz/24bit file and CD 02856463375) a file which has previously bettered both CD and LP replay of the same recording, the Transport easily betters the Server’s performance, with better separation, transparency and musical clarity, more expressive singing and playing and a far more secure sense of pace and rhythm, more sure-footed through the complex rhythmic shifts and hesitations.
These results were utterly consistent and, despite diligent efforts I could never find a musical example in which the Server’s performance managed to even approach that of the Transport. At first sight that might seem like a damning indictment of the Reference Server – except that it’s the best file replay system I’ve used in my system by quite a margin and that hasn’t changed. What has changed is the performance level possible from optical disc. The Reference Transport, even on a standalone basis has totally redefined my expectations of CD and SACD replay – and it’s done it on purely musical grounds. Sure, the sonic aspects of the unit’s performance are clear to hear, but what really raises its game is the way those disparate aspects of performance are welded to a single, musical core. It’s a level of temporal, spatial and dynamic organisation that the Server simply can’t match, individually or collectively. The result is the gulf in musical communication, presence and authority you hear so clearly when comparing the two.
Comparison Four – Adding the Reference PSU to the Reference Transport
If the Reference Transport already redefines expectations, how much further can an additional power supply take it? Indeed, given the standalone Transport’s clear superiority over other Wadax disc replay options and the Reference Server, you’d be justified in wondering whether the optional PSU is beyond necessary and well into the realms of extravagance? Even for listeners shopping at this exalted price level, the additional €75,300/$80,600 (both plus tax, for the PSU and an additional Akasa DC cable) is a far from trivial sum, but hey, we’ve come this far. Besides, I suspect that redundant Powercon connector is going to nag at owners, every time they look at the rear of their Transport…
