I would think that if one were to make several comparisons of a CD player against a combination of a transport and DAC at the same price point one may find some players that sound better. A savings result from both cost and effort in finding the best cable between transport and DAC.
If a CD player is under consideration I would advise one to purchase one having access to the internal DAC for other digital sources. I consider such players as a DAC with a built in transport.