does it logical to invest on expensive transport?

No, it is not.

OK. I guess I started this with the "in the know" comment.

First let me state that I'm all aboard the computer based source train. It's a blast and fits my listening lifestyle perfectly. I used to own a pretty good SACD player and curretnly own about 75 SACD's. At first I thought it was really superior to redbook but after some time I kept finding myself listening to "sounds" instead of music, so, I decided to go a different direction (non-upsampeling Audio Note DAC)... Just so you know where I'm coming from. This direction isn't for everyone and I will be the last to say my religion is superior to your religion.

Now, from a practical perspective. Most people I know own 1000's of CD"S. Replacing those at $30 a pop seems absurd. Especially with the first high rez download format that comes down the road. You have blueray looming large and then there's the argument about: are these high rez files really high rez or are they just upsampled? Let's just say I'm skeptical and probably the subject of another thread.

I don't know about you, but I have limited resources. I think Warren Buffet gets it right when he advises investors to get in when everyone is getting out and get out when everyone is getting in. Right now seems like a perfect time to pick up cheap CD collections. I see collections hit Craigslist at rate of about once a month for for a few bucks a piece. Therefore, a good transport which optimizes redbook for when I want to listen to that special recording from front to back, with a usb input for when I want to listen to play list, back ground music and internet radio is the perfect scenario for me.

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