TJ, well that would be news to me if a CD transport did more to 0s and 1s than relay them out to a DAC. Much of the price tag for some of the more expen$ive CDPs out there comes from the analog output circuit design (including power supply routing/isolation). DAC chips are a dime a dozen, and so are most CD drives.
There are indeed much more pricey players out there, but that argument is too cliche. A bit like arguing that an $80,000 Mercedes is great "value" because a Rolls costs $1M. How many actually own a Rolls, and in both cases, the end result is exactly the same -- the owner gets to point B, his destination, in the same physical state as when he started. Most audiophiles (or car owners) don't base their spending on the basis of the maximum price point currently in the marketplace.
cheers