Why a transport over a CD player?

If you're keeping it under a grand, we would recommend going with a very good player (CD transport and DAC in one box), like from Arcam or Creek, or the like. If you are considering the used market, unless you can find a very good transport and DAC at a serious discount, going with a higher model CD player from one of the brands previously mentioned is recommended.

We will leave the transport vs. the one box player details to the next responder to thoroughly answer that question for you, but in the meantime, in a nutshell, if you match the right transport with the right DAC, it may give you better sound in the higher price ranges.

Happy auditioning!

Well, you already have a very good DAC, so I'd look for the best CD player/transport you can find. For under $1K, I don't even know if you can even find purely a transport, so I'd look for a good CD player with coax out and features you like. Personally, I'd be reluctant to give up your existing DAC. Good Hunting. Craig.

You already have a good DAC. I would get a transport, but only a good one. All in one players generally do not have jitter reduction, since they don't need it. However, when you separate transport & DAC, jitter becomes a problem. That is why the better transports incorporate "reclocking" circuitry near the output jacks. This has a great effect on sonics. But reclocking or reducing jitter is only one facet. And you won't get this when you use a player as a transport.

In your price range, Sonic Frontiers SFT-1 is a great transport and matches well with Theta. Theta's older Basic II transport is also good, though not in the same league as the Sonic Frontiers. Theta's newer Jade may be equal or better than the SFT-1, but is more money.

In your situation I would prefere to get a good quality dedicated CD transport. Having a good quality DAC means that you will hear all digital "dirt" that is comming out of the bad CD-transport/player. The integrated designs just seem not to have a jitter. Once you'll plug CD player into separate DAC you will find out the truth whether CD player has or hasn't the jitter. Also many people will say that they tried to connect different DACs onto their CD players and realized that CD player sounded better. That's often happen with low quality CD players that have poorly designed transport.
There are plenty of good used under 1k CD-transports that with your DAC will outperform today's $2500 integrated CD players! Check out Theta Data II, EAD T-1000...