Over the last 15 years or so my interest in CD music led to my searching for what I thought would be most likely to yield well engineered with a focus on quality construction, optimization of digital info,, etc. at a reasonable entry/mid level price with results that would in the final analysis yield better results than current products which means of the last 20 yrs. Vintage equipment so to speak.. From the 90's likely. Enter Philips mechanisms--- CDM1 Mk ii which can be found in a number of transports.. such as my Museatex Melior CD-D with the MK ii mechanism -- this unit gone through by Stephen Sank. I picked this up for a mere 300 dollars thereabouts right here on the Gon. My other transport is a PS Audio Lambda (got here on the Gon as well) with the Philips CDM9 pro which is arguably the last of the best Philips mechanisms. Scoring one of these vintage decks that were made they way they were made at the time because it was possible to do so without high cost and without an excess of cheap components gives a certain satisfaction when I am using them. My Dacs are more recent examples -- Burson DA-160 and a Metrum Octave mkii. Some good info here on transports enabling to identify what company uses what transport mechanism in their offerings. Comparing and seeing what companies used what at what price point ,, etc.
http://www.dutchaudioclassics.nl/homepage/
http://www.dutchaudioclassics.nl/homepage/