If the DAC is the same, how different do CD transports sound?

I listened to the first consumer CD player in 1982. The vertical-loading Hitachi ($1000). I did not sell my TT and LP'S. This was at the best HiFi dealer in Connecticut. I waited until 1992 to buy my first CD player. In fact I bought my first CD in the Fall of 1991 - a mark-down at Square Circle in the local mall. This despite not having a player! More mark-down CD'S followed before I bought my first CD player - a lowly Technics SLP 340 from J&R Music on Park Row in NYC. I kept my TT and LP'S.

I remain skeptical about the soaring prices of DAC'S and now transports! Methinks this is a moneyphile thing driven by expectation bias and status-ranking. Digital's promise was the perfect transfer/transmission of the encoded data. Unlike Analog where every copy is at least slightly different! Plus everytime an Analog recording is played back there is loss and degradation.

I posted this in neighboring discussion recently:

I will describe to you my experience, not what I had read or heard from others. I bought Denafrips Ares II and utilized Arcam CD192 as a transport, it was great improvement, then I replaced Arcam with Cambridge CXC transport that was very noticeable improvement over Arcam transport section. I did go further up the ladder since. I have learned from my own experience that dedicated transport matters.

Now I am using Jay's Audio CDT2-MK3 with Denafrips Venus II 12th it is impressive improvement in comparison to Cambridge/AresII. Also, the HDMI connection over coaxial makes considerable difference, mostly much greater three dimensionality and placement of the instruments  using HDMI. I do agree with Harley that a DAC makes greater difference then transport. My experience.

Too bad the well-heeled audiophile can't wear that $3K transport on the wrist to show it off like a fancy watch! 

I had an Oppo 970HD connected to a MyDac.  it sounded ok then I swapped out a Tascam CD-RW900MKII again through the MyDac.

The sound was much richer fuller, the Oppo sounded thin.  I was pleasently surprised