Overall, excellent sound. Typical Theta-quality bass. Good pace and tempo. Excellent midrange. Build quality.

None.

This one of the best transports available, particularly for the price. Now discontinued, but can be found used. More refined sounding than previous Theta units thanks to the jitter reduction circuitry. The Jade simply does a great job presenting a "proper" digital signal. Great results when used with a high-calibre Theta or other DAC.

Similar Products Used:

Theta Data III Pioneer Elite CLD-79

Clean, clear and involving.
Highly detailed, awesome bass.

Remote Control

Excellent machine, great build quality. The sound is awesome, it represents such good value that transports costing twice as much will have difficulty keeping up. Partner it with a good dac and you have a great cd system. Although getting older now it still is a serious contender.

Similar Products Used:

Theta Pearl

Convincing bass, strong dynamics, sweet top end

error correction dropouts and skips on slightly scratched or soiled discs

In a 300B-based mainly-tube system, the Jade's BIG dynamics and crystal-clear top end (without hardness) make it a perfect match. Not to mention outstanding bass...I mean REAL BASS! If anyone thinks a transport can't make a difference in a system, listen to the Jade! Concert hall perspective: front row center....this transport doesn't hold much back. On the downside, the Jade may render some heretofore playable CDs to the bedroom or car system. Clean your CDs carefully.

Similar Products Used:

ARC, CAL, EAD (through Assemblage DAC-2 w/upgrade)

Highs are sparkling sweet.
Bass is real, never bloated.

very sensitive to worn or scracth cd's.
Very long burn in required.

The jade is a very good transport. In this day of no priced object components,the jade stands out as a very good value. It does so many things well.To me it is no doubt the best transport in its price range and then some. Very musical, very recommended

Similar Products Used:

Cal,Ml,

Negatives:1.) Has one of the worst remotes I've ever seen
2.) Extraordinarily long burn-in required
3.) Looks terrible in black
4.) The Pioneer Stable Platter requires that you turn CDs label-side down

Positives:
1.) Looks good in Platinum finish
2.) Comes standard with coax and AES/EBU outputs

Associated Equipment:
Transports: Theta Data basic II; CAL Delta
DACs: Theta DS Pro Basic IIIA, DS Pro Prime IIA, Cobalt 307
Digital links: HAVE Digiflex Gold; AudioQuest Digital Pro; MIT T3 and Digital Reference; Illuminations D-60; Kimber KS-2020; Tara Labs Air Digital 75 and The One Digital

If you buy this transport, it sounds ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE, right out of the box. It is cloudy, slow, lacking in detail, and muddy. It doesn't start to open up, until and month has passed. I'd estimate that full burn-in is two months. Unless you hear a fully burned-in unit, you will be mega-disappointed.

Regardless of how I tweak the Jade, it has a readily identifiable sonic signature. All CDs will sound warm, and a little lacking in high-frequency extension. I really miss Theta's old Data Basic II. The DB2 sounded snappier, more transparent, and leaner than the Jade.

To get the most out of the Jade, put it on Black Diamond Racing's The Source, and put Bright Star's Little Rock 2 on top. Be very careful in choosing a digital cable. You will want to avoid warm-sounding cables. If you have no money left over, the HAVE/Canare Digiflex Gold is a good match. If you have a little more money, then the Illuminations D-60 and Tara Air 75 are toss-ups. Best of all, however, is Tara's The One Digital, whose neutral characteristic suits all transports and DACs well.

If your CD-playback system is hashy, over-the-top, and bright, then you might like the Jade. Indeed, the Jade does not add distortions on top of the music. But those of us who have neutral or bass-heavy systems will want to look elsewhere.