The problem with CD transports or CD players used as transports is that almost all of them use cheap ass mechanisms. And that includes the Sim Audio.
They come in basically three forms - CD players that buy $5-$15 mechanisms from Sony, Teac, Samsung, Sanyo and Philips. These mechanisms are in pretty much every CD player under $2500.
The dedicated transport like the CXC can be better because the reader only reads CD and plays the disc at the CD speed not at higher speeds for bluray AND they don't share a power supply with the DAC portion of the player. In a higher end system one should be able to determine that the CXC is superior to most other all in one units.
But because most all CD players use a $12 transport then naturally people say "all transports sound the same" and in fact they are often correct - if Denon and Rotel and Arcam all buy the exact same Philips transport then well - all the transports will likely sound identical!!
But then there is a GIANT gap to the next level up - the next level up is the Philips Pro2 where the mechanism along costs $450. And the machines using them will run you $5000. This mechanism is found in upper Audio Note, ARC, Wadia, Metronome and are almost always top loaders with a magnetic puck you place on top that holds the CD down. And there is the famous flagship CEC transports which are Belt driven and cost even more money and the TEAC VRDS mechanism.
This is the transport I am saving for but it runs $6,000. And is one of the least expensive out there using the Philips Pro2LF
CEC Belt Drive
Belt
This is where the differences truly show up. The CXC and dedicated transports CAN still be improvements - I have the CXC myself but the improvement is more about the power supply and their Servo lock system than it is about the stability or quality (plastic) mechanism.
A good Single Disc player can still beat it but very unlikely at the price or perhaps 4-5 times the price. I have a $1500 Line Magnetic CD 215 that I was using as a transport but it has a dirt cheap Sanyo mechanism and while it is a very nice sounding CD player it is noisy and dull as a transport.
But I just came back from my dealer in Hong Kong and listened to the Audio Note 4.1 through my preamp and speakers that I used to own and the CD 4.1 is a single disc player that is far more sophisticated and the depth of bass is transcendent compared to the CXC. But this is a $13,000 CD player or something in that ballpark so it should BLOODY BETTER be transcendent compared to a $400 transport!! And that CD player is level 2 - their players go up to level 6 and run close to $200,000. Of course to normal people it's not worth it - but you WILL hear the improvement and when CD can sound like a master tape - and you hit the powerball - why not - I mean what's the point of being loaded if you don't buy the crazy stuff.
Back to reality - the CXC is darn nice - still I wish someone at Cambridge Audio had a clue and would put a dedicated CD player/transport remote in the box. The remote they put in is just so stupid - I get giving that multi unit remote for people buying the amplifier but they are going to sell a LOT of CXC transports to people NOT looking to build an all Cambridge Audio System. At least have a proper CD remote available as an optional extra. I'll gladly pay $30 for a good CD tranport remote - but it could be worse - I have seen $1000 transports that have crappy remotes too.
Perhaps if someone knows the remote code - we could go and buy a universal remote or something. It's just really dumb.
Here is my 1996 Cambridge Audio CD6 remote - still works perfectly - the remote and the player - to this day!
CD 6
The grey has is a bit posh and is slightly pitted so it doesn't feel like cheap plastic. It's just sad that they offered better in 1996 than in 2018. Oh well. The CD6 was $800 back then. So $400 today - in today's weaker dollar - I can live without the number pad ... I suppose