@tyan42-- interesting perspective from today's vantage point, you said "It seems like building a cd player into a DAC makes a lot of sense, like an integrated amp...."
When the consumer products first hit the market, they were integrated. Today, it's like asking for " undecaffeinated" coffee.
For what it's worth, after many years of this hobby, i am only now taking digital into my main system. Using a modest DAC, the Border Patrol, i first used an Oppo universal player as a transport, while awaiting a Redbook CD transport. The Redbook transport (the current, entry level CEC) sounds better. Not to diss Oppo- great product for the money.
When the consumer products first hit the market, they were integrated. Today, it's like asking for " undecaffeinated" coffee.
For what it's worth, after many years of this hobby, i am only now taking digital into my main system. Using a modest DAC, the Border Patrol, i first used an Oppo universal player as a transport, while awaiting a Redbook CD transport. The Redbook transport (the current, entry level CEC) sounds better. Not to diss Oppo- great product for the money.