CD player or CD transport ??

Hey All.... I'm looking to upgrade my CD playback by moving the duties from my Oppo player to a stand alone CD player.. It'll be connected to a pre-amp/processor before it hits the amplifier.. So my question is am I better off using the money to get an upper tier transport and relying on the DSP/DAC in the processor (currently Cary Audio Cinema12) or better to get a CD player because of the synergy that might occur in the design the maker made in the assembly/design of the unit ? I'm assuming the transport does no processing and only delivers the signal picked up from the CD... I have about the $2000 range...  Any suggestions on which model in the budget ?  I prefer it can do SACD too... Thanks