CD player to be use as a transport advice?

If that's your intention, focus on the quality of the CD drive. Focus on drives designed to minimize jitter. I don't know much about the Onkyo, although IME, Onkyo gear is very durable and rugged. I use an Oppo BDP-93 as a video, SACD and DVD-A player, and as a transport for CDs. The current model, the BDP-103 is in your price range.

Get a used BDP-93 and add the Vanity 93 module:

http://audiopraise.com/vanity93/overview.php

This will be hard to beat for less than $15K. This is more important than the DAC.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Hi Mountiansong, If you purchase a DIP from Monarcy audio you can play discs on anything that will send a optical or RCA digital signal out. Then from the DIP you can go out using rca or even better XLR! The DIP's are jitter stoppers/reclockers so the signal when it gets to the DAC will be awesome! Also, the DIP is only $150! Check it out, I spin a cd using a horrible little jvc desktop unit that is over 15 years old using a optical cable to the Monarcy DIP then out using a XLR cable to the MSB Nelson DAC....The sound... amazing :-)

Matt M

Steve, how would that compare to the same/similar Oppo player with your re-clocker?

The most simplistic CD transport you can get:-

Bel Canto CD3t.

Only AES and Digital Coaxial outputs.

http://www.belcantodesign.com/Belcanto_CD3t_Transport.html

(Audio)