Looking for comparisons between CD transports

I’m definitely looking for a transport, not a player. I have a Cambridge Audio CXU (their long discontinued universal disc player) which does an okay job as a CD player/transport and and reads SACDs (though in my system it converts to PCM because it can only output DSD through HDMI and my DAC doesn't have that option--very few do) but is best for DVDs and Blu-ray discs. I think the right dedicated transport will offer distinctly better performance for standard redbook CDs.

I have an OPPO BDP-83 that I got used for $200 and use it with this device to play SACD and CD. The HDMI out of the OPPO delivers DSD or PCM. It sounds amazing with the Schitt Yggi+ and Benchmark DAC3B both via SPDIF. My frame of reference is the Sony SCD-1 SACD player, which died recently.

Amazon.com: GeerFab Audio - D.BOB Digital Breakout Box : Electronics

The other option for a transport is a cheap computer drive with the following streamer from ARIES S1 - AURALIC

This is a memory player so the quality of the transport should not matter one bit.

As with AURALiC’s Lightning file streaming, our unique CD playback feature uses the same advanced, jitter-reducing Memory Playback technology. CD data is first read, and compared several times for accuracy into the system cache before playing. The result is elimination of potentially induced jitter from the transport, canceling any negative effects from the quality of your chosen CD drive, potentially improving performance beyond what’s offered from competitors’ CD players.

I can’t comment on the three transports that you want to compare.  I use a Sony 5400 ES and Oppo 105 as transports into my Bryston DAC 3.  My NAS however is a Melco N100, and I bought the Melco Optical Player to use as a ripper.  The player will also function as a disc transport if combined with the NAS and that is actually the best Redbook playback in my system 

I have owned many transports over the decades (from hundred$ to thousand$). My current one (for ~ 3 years) is the CDT 6000, which responds quite well to quality iso devices, power cords and coax cable choices that I picked it up used no-issues! other than when the remote battery loses strength, gremlins creep in. That said, I have my eye on the top loading Shanling ET3, which has more outputs and it's very reasonably priced @ ~$750

hth

About a year or so ago, I went with the PS Audio Perfect Wave SACD transport.  

I have a good sized record collection.  But, I own a lot (and I mean a lot of CDs and SACDs) and was concerned about having quality players available to me, as I am getting up there in age and don't see myself ever embracing streaming.  

My then current CD players (Musical Fidelity CD PRE 24; A2) were at least 15 years old.  I started looking at Luxman and McIntosh players, but was uncertain about dropping $5k or more.  The Luxmans I was looking at used Teac drives.  I had a Unico player, which used a previous generation of the same Teac drive, and I found it to be noisy and I could not locate a new replacement drive  I usually buy new, so this was shaping up as a major purchase and I only wanted to do it once.    

I picked up the PSA at a very good sales price, almost 40% off.  Only proviso is that for SACDs it uses I2S connectors, so PSAs DACs are the easiest way to go.  So, you are looking at a PSA transport and DAC combo, so ultimately cash wise more than the Luxmans and MACs I was looking at.    

Very happy with my purchase.  No issues.  Definite improvement in sound quality, most notable on rebook CDs.  I expect to own this transport for a long time.  

Rich