does it logical to invest on expensive transport?

Lokie, I have similar sentiments. Recent improvements in computer audio and availability of hi-res internet files are getting me interested. However after years of accumulating CDs and making refinements to a traditional RBCD front end, the question is when and how to assimilate these changes. I recently had a taste of the transport dilemma after installing a current-production ESS 32-bit 9018 Sabre chip in my SCD-1. The implementation allows toggling between the Sony DAC & digital filtering chips and the replacement ESS DAC combined chip, feeding into the same analog stage. Moreover I can swap between several transport sections that are in various states of modification affecting jitter. The ESS chip is supposed to be impervious to input jitter. However, the transport swaps suggest otherwise. So at least in this instance of a SOTA RBCD DAC, the quality of the transport still matters. Since the ESS chip supports universal data rates to 200kHz, it will be possible to gate its digital input to hi-res external files via USB, I2S, etc. However for silver discs this purportedly SOTA chip will continue to demand a high-quality transport.

If you are going to play music from CD's the transport matters and definately affects the sound/performance. Saying differently is being dishonest or blind/deaf.

That being said, one's opinion that a good transport is irrelavent due to computer audio is an opinion based on the belief that one will not play music from CDs.

If I did not own a plethora of CDs and was just getting into the hobby, the computer based approach makes a lot of sense - certainly from a convencience perspective. However, if you already own many CD's and plan to continue to enjoy them by playing them (vs. ripping them to computer), the transport is an important aspect to achieve the best performance - without a doubt.

Absolutely, if you are interested in the best sound and want to avoid wrestling with computer hardware and software which is not yet ready for prime time and may never be. Transport very complicated: put a shiny silver disc on, and press Play.

Neal

Dgarretson: Looks like a very resolving system and very interesting SCD-1.

Nglazer, exactly how I see it at this time; regardless of which approach sounds better.