Universal players as a transport

Oppo. You will have to spend much, much more to better it as a transport. Even pairing it with a jitter reduction device will be cheaper, and in the long run, allow you to change transport as technology changes.

I do agree the Oppos are very light. I like the smaller space it takes. I weigh mine down and use vibration control underneath. The small height works to my advantage. That said, the Denons as transports are excellent and durable. With a great DAC it would be a great combination. A used Denon and Paradisea would be more than $500, but worth it. A Scott Nixon DAC is less and well reviewed, but I haven't heard it and you have to add in a digital cable. Good luck and have fun!

Kira, I discovered something while changing my main rig around. I went with the Oppo as a CD transport for a short while. When I switched on the Onkyo nearby, there was a slight hesitation. I am guessing that the power drain affected the power to the transport. That never happened with my Jolida transport. I think that having a transport with a solid case that is vibration resistant, and a power supply that exceeds your needs may be important. All I know is, I put the Jolida back.