How can we both start with the same data on a Redbook CD and it ends up sounding better an a system like yours as opposed to a conventional CD player? I'm not challenging you here, it just doesn't make sense to me. Where is the "improvement" occurring?
Primarily lower jitter, as well as the capability to play hi-res tracks. I recently played many re-mastered Beatles albums, all 24/44.1 rather than 16/44.1. They sound amazing.
If you want your transport to have lower jitter, then the Synchro-Mesh can deliver that. ~20psec at the end of the 4 foot cable. Never run less than a 4 foot digital cable because you will get more jitter. Even coax cables add jitter:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=154425.0
To my way of thinking the best I could hope for in this process is to not loose any data that I have on my original CD.
CD players and transports are far from perfect, but losing data is not a concern unless it is from the early 80's. Jitter is the biggest issue with most digital audio. See the jitter from this transport and how the Synchro-Mesh reduces it:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=154408.0
Not a minor improvement.
The real appeal of computer audio is not only lower jitter (depending on the hardware), but streaming services and playing hi-res files. I have many 24/96 and 24/192 files in .wav format downloaded from HDtracks. Rolling Stones Let it Bleed in 24.176.4 is amazing.
With the right DAC and Ethernet interface, the sound quality will not only beat the best CD players, it will beat some of the best vinyl systems. I have customers that have sold their vinyl systems and vinyl and converted to digital audio. You can read the feedback on my website.
Steve N.
Empirical Audio