Recommend A CD Player With A Good Transport To Feed My DAC - Maybe Under $700.


I’ve been reading about the Cambridge CXC, but have heard some mixed reviews about limited functionality. Are there any CD Players with a comparable quality transport for under $700? It’s been like 18 years since I bought my Arcam and am out of the loop of current players.  I'm interested in transports in that price range too.  Also, does anyone have experience with the NuPrime CDT 8 Pro transport? 

Thanks!
stevehardy1
I have the cdt 8, and use it with a dac10. I absolutely love the combination.

The workmanship is far above the Cambridge, which I had first and returned. 
I just tried upsampling for the first time. The Disc, from 1991, is DDD, and basically Vivaldi and Biber. At 96, the soundstage improved drastically and I could hear no other obvious changes. I’m sure it works because my DAC10 then showed 96. Interesting.
I'd buy a cheap but reliable CD or DVD player with a digital out and then buy this...

https://www.empiricalaudio.com/products/synchro-mesh

since you'll probably want a jitter-reduction device anyway.  Best of luck. 
I liked the CXC but like the Nuprime more. Use it with Nuprime DAC-9. Some members here seem to like older changers or DVD players as transports 
I use an Integra 3.4 changer into DAC with good results. I’m sure the synchro mesh would make it all sound better...

Just use your Arcam player and add a Synchro-Mesh reclocker and a cheap Markertec BNC coax cable.  It will beat anything you can buy for 10X that.  $699 for the Synchro-Mesh. 7psec of jitter:

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=157348.0

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

I have a Musical Fidelity M1 CDT transport and an April Music Stello CD100. They're both very good.

I'm selling both as I've replaced them with a Jay's Audio transport. 

When I was looking for a transport last year, I considered the Cambridge, but ultimately decided to go with the April Music. It seemed to be better built, was favorably reviewed, and is a top loader.

My customers tell me that my S/PDIF coax BNC-BNC cables, the Standard for $275 and the Reference for $499 are both giant-killers.  They send me many cables to try for comparison and none of them stack-up.  Both cables come with RCA adapters.  30-day money-back, less shipping. Here are some jitter plots comparing cables:

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=154425.0

As you can see, the plots look identical with the device connected directly or with the 4-foot Standard BNC cable in-line.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

You should give the Marantz Sa8005 a try. Used is around your price range. Excellent  sound and build quality. I use it as a transport till I can afford the directstream memory player.