Differences between cd transports?


Howdy,I borrowed a dedicated CD transport (Musical Fidelity) from a friend. I have found that music sounds much better with his transport than with the CD player I’ve been using to spin CDs. In both cases, I am using exactly the same DAC via the optical out connection from the transport and the CD player. So: is there any rational reason that, using the same digital to analog converter, one CD spinner should sound much better than another?Thanks!  
rebbi
To geoffkait:
Ok.... so having directionality means that a cable will sound better when the signal is sent in one direction rather than the other.
Now.... what is the precise physical explanation for this behaviour? 
Zimmerma rather than more useless and redendant posts on wire directionality from Don Quixote, ie Mr. Kait, polluting this thread and the Audiogon site in general, here is a reference that explains his position, not that it really matters:

https://www.stereophile.com/content/wire-directionality-how-bad-it

Nothing new to report ......the story remains the same. That same horse has been beaten solo by Mr. Kait here 100s, maybe thousands of times. I guess when you are in the business and have little to offer of value beside Teleportation Tweaks, Clever Clocks, Brilliant Pebbles, and Dark Matter, any publicity is good publicity.
I take your point, mapman.

However, after working my way through the longgggg Stereophile exchange between Mr Kait and his critic/commentators, I am none the wiser about what his actual claim about "directionality" is. "Sounds better" is not a physical property.

What one wants from him is: 1. An actual physical description of what directionality is, and 2. Given that, an actual physical explanation of how that physical phenomenon occurs in wires and cables....

You know, physics "all the way down."

It does not seem to be forthcoming, however.

Alas.... 
And lest we forget, it's extremely likely that none of the wires inside any of your gear was assembled with any thought of wire or PC trace "directionality," and although I follow the little arrows on ICs or labelling of "speaker" or "amp" on my speaker cables (hey, it's because it's there, and I don't want whoever put the little arrows on 'em to have their feelings hurt), even the wires inside your speakers, especially board traces and any other tiny wires, are utterly random relative to alleged "directionality." Facts...nothing like facts, ya know?
I never said it wasn’t physical or electrical. But that’s not what you asked. You asked what I meant by directionality. You have to know how to ask the right question. Follow? Besides this has been covered ad nauseam on many many threads. Let your fingers do the walking.