I wonder if the difference in sounds with different transports is sometimes related to how the particular transport is polluting the incoming 120v line? I do get a better sound from my system with a JPS labs digital cable connected to the cd player I'm using as a transport (Arcam alpha 10 cd, MF Tri-Vista 21).
Maybe not, but if somebody wanted to explore the notion, there is some info on audio asylum about the JPS labs being just a basic cable with a simple r/c network in one of the plug casings, and I believe you can buy it from the original manufacturer for less than $50.00 US.
Motors and digital devices are inheritantly nasty polluters.