CD transports; do they really matter

@noske

No problem.. If you go to the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2T website description page they lay out their product design and objectives.

@havocman

I had the Esoteric P700 which may have been the first generation of the VRDS disc clamp-drive unit. I purchased it in the mid-late 1990s. It still functions fine today! I have used it in various 2nd systems. When acquired it was considered one of the better CD transports for reasonable cost. I have heard numerous later generation Esoteric transports but have not owned them.

Charles

Charles 1dad, the esoteric p700 was not that good, that was their cheapened out version of the esoteric P10 which is what I have, that thing was so well built they were even using OCC single crystal wire for the internal wire back in 1990 when it came out, they were so far ahead of everybody even back then, but they're transports now are way crazy priced, the P10 was only $2,500 Canadian back then and the p1 was $4,000, now they're transports are like 10 $20,000 that's ridiculous.

@havocman

The P700 may not have been Esoteric’s very best effort but during that era it served me well and was better than most in that particular price range at that time. I’ve heard their more recent models at a not too distance dealer.

Charles

IME, it is important, but less than DAC.

if DAC = 100% then transport is 30-40%.

Similar to upgrade the digital I/C's from transport to DAC vs analog I/C's from DAC to amp.

Given the requirements of the DAC and CD transport and their impact on sound quality when either is suitably upgraded my perspective of their respective contribution is 50-50 Maybe 55-45 in favor of the transport.  The delivery of the digital signal from the sorce is paramount.  So this obviously varies from one individual's viewpoint compared to another. 

Charles