Oracle Audio CD2000 MkIII CD Transport

The Oracle Audio CD2000 MkIII is a top-loading CD transport that floats its Philips CD PRO 2LF drive on a massive aluminum chassis suspended by four towers, each built from no fewer than 12 components. It has no DAC. BNC S/PDIF, XLR AES/EBU and Toslink optical outputs send the data to the converter of your choice, and a magnetic clamp adapted from Oracle's turntables holds the disc still.

The CD2000 MkIII is the transport half of Oracle's top CD platform: the CD2500 MkIV is built on the same floating chassis with a DAC added. Oracle took its suspension and disc clamping from its analog turntables, the line that includes the Delphi MkVII Classic, and put seven mechanical filters between the room and the laser. For the MkIII generation, Oracle totally redesigned the power supply stage. This is a transport for a system that already has a DAC worth feeding.

"Oracle analogue and digital products have always been designed and built as 'musical instruments' that can stand the test of time."

Key Features of the Oracle CD2000 MkIII

• MVSS Included: Oracle's Micro Vibration Stabilizer System (MVSS) is part of the CD2000 MkIII
• Floating Aluminum Chassis: A massive, high-mass chassis that rigidly supports the drive and the electronics beside it, isolated from the outside world
• Four Suspension Towers: Each combines no fewer than 12 components, and the system as a whole combines seven different mechanical filters
• Philips CD PRO 2LF Drive: Decoupled on Delrin pillars that remove medium and high frequency interference from around the mechanism
• Magnetic Disc Clamp: Magnetism plus a slight vacuum from a thick urethane washer stops disc chatter, a system derived from Oracle's record clamp
• Three Digital Outputs: BNC S/PDIF (0.5V peak to peak at 75 ohms), XLR AES/EBU (4V peak to peak at 110 ohms) and Toslink optical (650nm)
• Redesigned Power Supply: The MkIII's power supply stage was totally redesigned; it sits in an outboard case joined by a 15-pin DC cord
• Diamond-Cut, Hand-Brushed Aluminum: Machined parts are finished with diamond cutting tools, then hand brushed and sealed in high gloss polyester lacquer
• Factory-Calibrated Suspension: Set at the factory, with a suspension calibration tool in the box for any fine tuning
• Infrared Remote Control: Included, with program, shuffle, repeat, A/B repeat, scan and fast search
• Full Dome Dust Cover Option: Add Oracle's full dome clear acrylic cover when you order this listing

How Does the CD2000's Four-Tower Suspension Work?

It works as seven mechanical filters stacked in series. Oracle suspends the CD2000's floating chassis on four suspension towers, each built from no fewer than 12 components, and each part in a tower is there to deal with a different band of vibration before it reaches the Philips drive and laser.

Oracle describes the chain from the bottom up. The convex leveling feet are the first barrier. Delrin suspension pillars cut mid and higher frequencies. An upper spring rubber bushing controls spring resonances, while the conical suspension spring handles the lower frequencies that matter most. A spring adjustment sleeve calibrates the spring and controls its resonances, a sorbothane damper acts as the mechanical energy trap, and felt dampers control resonance inside the spring itself. It is the same idea as a suspended turntable, turned to a disc.

What Does the Floating Chassis Do?

It carries the drive and the electronics next to it, and it has to stay rigid while it floats. Oracle designed it for maximum rigidity, minimal surface area and energy control, and its high mass controls vibration with the aid of additional mechanical filters: a nylon sleeve for high frequencies, Delrin drive pillars and a urethane energy trap.

The chassis nylon sleeve inside the CD enclosure removes the high frequencies. The Delrin drive decoupling pillars remove medium and high frequency interference from the area around the mechanism. A urethane compound then reduces whatever vibration is left. The metalwork is finished the way Oracle finishes its turntables: diamond cutting tools on most machined parts, and every aluminum component hand brushed and coated in high gloss polyester lacquer.

Why Does a CD Need a Clamp?

Because discs chatter. A CD vibrates slightly at the high speed the mechanism spins it, and Oracle says that wobble costs the laser focal clarity, causing distortion or misread information and making the error correction circuitry work, sometimes to excess. Oracle pioneered its record clamp for analog records in 1979 and built a CD version to fight chatter.

The clamp works two ways at once: magnetism, and a slight vacuum created by a thick urethane washer. That urethane grips the disc well enough that the CD lifts with the clamp, so keep a hand underneath, and it only grips when it is clean. Oracle recommends the included Brilliance cleaner or isopropyl alcohol to keep the urethane ring in shape.

How Do You Play a Disc on the CD2000?

Lift off the aluminum top cover, place the disc on the CD turntable, fit the magnetic clamp and replace the cover. Press Disc Reset so the transport reads the table of contents, then Play. Oracle says the cover significantly improves performance, because the darker environment lets the laser pick up the signal from the spinning disc more accurately.

Disc Reset has to be pressed every time a new disc goes on; pressing STBY twice on the remote does the same. At switch-on, Oracle asks that the top cover stays in place until the display reads "No Disc". The remote also handles numeric track selection, scan, program, shuffle, repeat, A/B repeat, pause and a fast search at about ten times normal speed. The main on/off switch is on the back of the outboard power supply, not the transport.

What Comes in the Box With the CD2000 MkIII?

The transport ships in a wooden frame inside a double layer cardboard box. The accessory foam holds four suspension covers, the magnetic disc clamp, the aluminum top cover, the outboard power supply, a suspension calibration tool, Brilliance cleaner with a lint-free cloth, the AC cord, the 15-pin DC cord and the remote.

Oracle calibrates the suspension at the factory, and says it may need only minor fine tuning before use. The supplied gauge shows whether each tower sits at its target height, and a spirit level and the threaded feet under the plinth take care of final leveling. Oracle asks owners never to lift the main chassis off the suspension towers, since that can damage the cable between the display module and the chassis. Keep the packing: Oracle calls it the only really safe way to move the transport.

What Can I Connect the CD2000 To?

Any DAC with a coaxial, AES/EBU or optical input. The CD2000 MkIII is a pure transport with no analog output: BNC S/PDIF at 0.5V peak to peak into 75 ohms, XLR AES/EBU at 4V peak to peak into 110 ohms, and a Toslink optical output at a 650nm nominal wavelength.

Oracle's advice is to use the best digital and optical interconnects you can. If you want the converter inside the box instead, the CD2500 MkIV is the same platform with a Burr Brown PCM1792 DAC and balanced analog outputs.

CD2000 MkIII or CD1000 MkIII?

Both use the Philips CD PRO 2LF, the magnetic clamp and the same three digital outputs. The difference is isolation. The CD1000 decouples its drive on Delrin pillars inside a chassis sculpted from an aluminum block and stands on urethane feet. The CD2000 floats its whole chassis on four spring suspension towers, and it weighs 35.2 pounds against the CD1000's 30.

Does the CD2000 Come With a Dust Cover?

Only if you choose it. This listing offers the CD2000 MkIII with no dust cover or with Oracle's full dome clear acrylic dust cover. The full dome covers the whole unit down to the support table, with the rear left open for the audio and power cables, and measures 19 3/4 x 15 1/4 x 8 1/2 inches.

The Listening Room Difference

We're a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland, and a reputation built on exceptional service and relentless passion for hifi. At this level, every detail matters, and we're here to make sure you get it right. Whether you need help with system matching, setup guidance, or just want to talk through your options before pulling the trigger, owner Mike Hoatson is a phone call away. We don't just ship boxes. We help build systems, and our support lasts well beyond the sale. Call or text 410-239-2020.

Oracle CD2000 MkIII Specifications