Which Vintage CD Player To Use As A Transport?

An Onkyo C7030 makes for a nice transport.  Several years back they were selling  for under $200 on Amazon.  I paid $173 with a four year extended warranty. Under light use it's still working fine over six years later.  Perhaps you can find a used one for $100. The C7030 is a very nice sounding CD player that also works well as a CD transport.  It has both optical and coaxial outputs.  

@paul6001

Is this a good idea? Compared to what? Not feeding your children for a week because you spent food money on an expensive component?

What are your goals and budget? It’s easier to help if that is clear 

Another inexpensive way to get a transport is to connect an Optical disc reader, such (range from $30-$90) by usb to a PC, then connect the PC to your DAC.  I did that for a few weeks when my transport was being repaired.

+Pioneer Elite line is good but the PD-65 has become collectible and pricey now. The following Elite models are still very affordable.

Pioneer Elite DV-37 (24/96)

Pioneer Elite DV-47a (24/192; SACD capable)

Pioneer Elite DV-59avi (Bur Brown; bit rate?; SACD capable)

If you have external DAC, the bit rate support does not matter...

In addition, Pioneer Elite DV-05 was appraised by Stereophile (https://www.stereophile.com/features/151/index.html) but I found the transport itself is noisy although sound is quite good.

Try your local swap meet.  You never know what treasures await!  

My advice is to focus on the control features you want from a player. The technology of an SPDIF coaxial output hasn’t changed because it can’t. But disc player features vary greatly. I am a fan of Denon, Nakamichii and Sony players, all of which I used to sell. The future reliability is always unknown with old gear…even when new there was no such thing as a bulletproof CD player.  Best bet is to buy a used player from a good repair technician who has checked its spindle motor, laser, and loading belts, all of which are potential Achilles heels.