Hi-fi digital front end suggestions for my system

When I heard the Transporter, it was in Philnyc's system, and it ran into Dodson DA-218 dac. I am pretty familiar with Phil's system and can tell if he changed something from the last time I heard it. Anyway, this wasn't an extended audition, but enough time to get an idea of Transporter's capabilities. We ran it into Dodson via Acoustic Zen Silver Bytes digital IC, AZ Silver RefII from Dodson to preamp....and Phil, correct me if I'm wrong here, but I recall the ICs as either Silver Ref II or AZ Absolute. Anyway, we then ran the Transporter using first the AZ Matrix II and then the same ICs as were used from the Dodson direct into the preamp without the Dodson dac and to say that I was impressed with the sonics of the Transporter is an understatement. The sound was great. Yeah, the Dodson provided more depth to the soundstage and a bit bigger images(that's what I noticed the most) and the Dodson sounded a bit more refined overall, but that's to be expected when you compare an $8k Dodson DA-218 dac to a digital to analog conversion section of a $2k Transporter. But if the Dodson 218 wasn't there for comparison, I doubt that I would be able to pick any shortcomings in the Transporter's performance. Again, you have to listen to it in your own system, but as far as I'm concerned, this piece is a great value and an outstanding performer. I'd not even hesitate to compare it to a solid state cd players probably in the $3-4k range. I found no serious faults in its performance.
Do a search on Audiogon for Transporter in systems....perhaps e-mail few Tranporter owners here and ask them what they think and what they compared it to.

Good luck.

Thanks Audphile1. If you are comparing the sound of the Transporter to CD players in the $3-4k range it is obviously a very nice sounding unit strait out of the box, especially for $2k. I don't have an external DAC in my system, and while my modified Sony XA9000es is great, its certainly not the ultimate player. It sounds like the Transporter might do just as well as my player (excluding SACDs).

it is still better if you evaluate the Transporter in your own system though, if possible.
I think slimdevices may offer some kind of a trial period...check it out.

My Wavelength Cosecant has outperformed just about any CDP player I have listened to. Which included a side by side with the Meridian G08 with a whole room full of Audiophile store workers who agreed.

Depending on your budget, the Cosecant is simply magical and worth the budgetary stretch or patience to wait to get it.

I wouldn't trade it as a source for ANY CDP thats for sure.

The Wavelength Cosecant seems like an outstanding USB digital source, but at $3500 the price of entry is rather steep for me. I wonder if anyone has compared the Modwright Transporter ($4000) to the Cosecant? If I was to go the Transporter route, I could always upgrade with Modwright mod package down the line....