They do make a considerable difference, unfortunately no good cheap ones I know of. Last summer I took a transport and several DACs over to a friend who uses a universal player. He is an experienced audiophile and didn't expect much if any difference. He was surprised that he could hear a considerable difference and thought that the transport made more difference than the DAC after listening to several combinations.
Doesn't DAC Do Heavy Lifting vs. Transport?
As I am no expert, I was wondering just what one looks for in a CD transport if one has a separate DAC. Maximum stability and minimum jitter I assume, but beyond that? Doesn't the DAC do the heavy lifting? Does the transport impart it's own influence on the sound? How? What transports are recommended under $500?