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

I guess I must add my 2 cents. My system (large acoustical area and 80 to 90 db Rock and Roll only) Pass x250.8 (running in Class A) Tekton Double impacts upgraded, SVS Sb 4000 sub, Meitner MA1 V2 DAC, Project RS2T transport, all decent cabling, nothing outrageously priced. Also a Benchmark LA-4 pre- amp, all Balanced.

I had started with a Benchmark 3B DAC and a Audiolab 6000CDT. Sounded very good. Then I upgraded the DAC to the Meitner, refined jump upwards! (ps still have in another system the Benchmark DAC, which I still like a lot) Then I added the Project RS2T, with upgraded LTA power supply, what a DIFFERENCE, not just 5 or 10%, every bit MUCH more. I was astounded. How could this be! Keep in mind some CD's sound better than others, mastered better I guess? Huge difference. See reviews from other owners of transport on Audiogon forum.  I also stream qobuz and it's amazing as well. Qobuz is still  (High REZ) a step up in resolution and dynamics over the CD, but, with the Meitner DAC and the RS2T it is so close, sometimes not being able to differentiate. Makes listening to CD's great.  It's that good. Very Very evident!!! Robert TN

@jasonbourne71 @robshaw

What went down? Any plans here for jasonbourne to find the truth? Quite a generous offer for him.

Related to this thread, to evaluate the difference a simple transport makes does anyone recall ever going to a Linn dealer 20 years ago and hearing the difference between the Genki and Ikemi cd players? Those had identical power supplies and chipsets: the only difference was an off the shelf Philips transport in the Genki, and a Linn produced proprietary aluminum transport for double the retail price of the Genki (and balanced outputs) for the Ikemi. Absolutely one could hear the additional resolution the transport in the Ikemi provided, by swapping one for the other in the same setup (using RCA’s) , but personally I didn’t have the extra money to buy the Ikemi 20 years ago so I had to settle the Genki and enjoyed it for well over 10 years. I don't have any Linn equipment anymore, but the word is still in my forum handle name :( 

I'll add a more detailed answer than I did before.  

CD transports do not do any file conversion or format changes that can color the music.  so it is all about implementation.  

The data on a CD is very dense so the mechanical components to read them have to be good.  that said, mass production has resulted in readers that can do it for $20.  So it all comes down do accuracy:  are they dropping bits and are they introducing jitter/clocking errors. 

Challenges include mechanically imperfet discs, wobble, speed control (the reader has to vary rotational velocity as the disc is read from inside to out), and laser control.

Bottom line is, a well made CD transport minimizes all of these but obviously there is less to be gained here than in , say, a DAC where there is tremendous opportunity to add color (or whatever you want to call it) to the music.  In fact, it may be impossible not to.  So focus on the DAC first.

Jerry