Is it worth upgrading a CD player?

@charles1dad Thank you for your knowledge. I didn’t know anything about the Project transport mechanism which apparently is used in three high cost (high end) units.

The primary reason that my extreme modified Arcam Delta units sound good is their Philips CDM 9 transports (Jays uses a cheaper version curved CDM 4 for the CDT2 and straight line CDPRO2 LF modified for the CDT3).

It is probably why my living room Kyocera CDP sounds so good with it’s ceramic chassis spacers/guide shafts and sapphire spindle for the transport. Not as good as my separates though.

Have you heard any CDPs that compare at under $10K or above to your system? Such as the Luxman 03X, Accuphase DP450 (or more expensive DP550), Audio Note 4.1 (expensive too), Ayon CD10 or CD 35 II. Could it be better purchasing an equally good or better sounding CDP for $4K to $15K than adding a $5k transport to my system or are symbiotic matched separates (like yours) better in the same price range?

I grew up with analog for over 45 years before serious digital sound consideration. It’s only been 17 years when I bought an EAR Acute that I appreciated CDs (yet I now have 7,000). It’s only been 3 years that I purchased digital separates and this year found a great cable and all round good sounding transport.

Have you heard any CDPs that compare at under $10K or above to your system? Such as the Luxman 03X, Accuphase DP450 (or more expensive DP550), Audio Note 4.1 (expensive too), Ayon CD10 or CD 35 II. Could it be better purchasing an equally good or better sounding CDP for $4K to $15K than adding a $5k transport to my system or are symbiotic matched separates (like yours) better in the same price range?

This is a list of really good contenders. Of your list I’ve only heard the Audio Note and Ayon but under audio show conditions in single brand system format. You could not make a bad choice with any of these. High quality CD player is a fine alternative to separate transport-DAC arrangement. You have very good options with your given budget.

Ayon and Audio Note take decidedly different paths to design and approach. I do not know which philosophical camp you adhere to (oversampling/up sampling vs NOS/No digital filtering), but both succeed in their own ways. I like the flexibility separate transport and DAC allow. In terms of sound quality, I do not believe there is a penalty if one chooses a CD player if it is high quality.

You have a very large CD collection and I’m sure that many of them are cherished. It makes perfect sense to want a top-quality CD playback system to fully appreciate them. So, an upper tier CD player or separates. Either will deliver for you.

Charles

Bro, save your money, you won’t notice an epiphany or rapture , or when yo u press play , the seas will part to let yo u listen as you walk through. 
 

 Save money. 
I will put my aging elite dv-79avi against many of the listed CD players 

us also, analog, didn’t get into cd players til almost 1990, as they were too darn expensive , plus I could buy the tape for a lot less, even the records were affordable in 84(. 
 

I would love to buy the new releases of my fav bands these days, the extortion from the companies is astronomical!  Posses me off something I.  Especially for a collector of metal stuff. 1 lp would cost me 30-35$. No thank you, I wait a week and buy a used cd.  I remember buying my very first Venom 7” BLOODLUST, still have the purple 7”.  3.50. 

@arcticdeth Thank you.  I tried a Pioneer elite dv-59avi as a transport after upgrading caps in 2020.  It was mediocre as a CD player and transport.  Just one of 15+ transports I tried from the PS-Audio down to the Cambridge (Pioneer was slightly above).  

@charles1dad Well, I really appreciate knowing that they are all good choices.  If only I could try them in my system without paying for them first.  The two that have opposite technologies don't bother me and I've known about them.  My Benchmark HDR1 DAC uses asynchronous oversampling which maybe part of way it sounds good once radically upgraded ($400+ in parts alone, regulators at $50 each versus the computer grade 50¢ ones inside).  One thing, the Jays Audio transports are rarely is found used in the U.S. and I could try one and if it didn't fit the bill, I could sell it for less than a $500 loss.  I live in Los Angeles and dealers just don't want to lend out CD players or transports (they rarely have good ones) on a trial basis.  I'd pay for shipping to the East Coast for trial purposes.  My best friend also would like to hear the Luxman 03X for himself as he does not want separates (and has a more limited budget).  

Among my CDs are about 2,000 which are not going to be streamed (1000 Marston, Romophone and Biddulph CDs alone, ethnic and minor label/limited distribution labels).  Same with my LP collection with 5,000+ LPs never to be streamable (or most of my 78s).   Yes, many are cherished CDs.  

@fleschler 

Yep! It would be a wonderful situation if we could audition components that interest us in our homes prior to purchase. Just isn’t possible with all of them. If you have any interest in the Pro-Ject RS 2T, you could get it from an online seller like Audio Advisor /Music Direct with a 30 day trial period and judge for yourself.

The flagship Jay’s Audio CDT3 MK III seems like it could be a really fine transport. Given your vast experience with CD players/transports and your methodical approach I believe that you’ll acquire the right choice for you. I’m having a new DAC built for me now (In Ukraine) an Abbas Audio 3.2SE. I’m really looking forward to pairing it with the splendid RS2T.

Charles