CD transports differ as they don't have any analogue or digital to analogue components in them or any filters to improve the analogue sound. ... This way the sound you're hearing is much closer to the original recording. Some CD players do also have digital outputs so they can be used as a transport too.

Do CD transports matter?

The cable is part of the overall signal delivery from the transport to DAC and its resulting signal. The CD transport can improve or degrade the sound. It depends on the quality of the transport. So, a transport matters.

Whats the difference between a CD transport and a CD player?

A CD transport concentrates on reading the information held on a compact disc without expending effort in turning that digital signal into an analogue output, unlike a CD player. All you need to do is add (or already own) an external DAC.