Hello,
I would make sure it has digital outs. If it has RCA/Coax even better. I like the idea of you adding a DAC later on. R2R like the Denifrips Ares II is better on SS gear. If you are running tube gear a chip based system would’ve better. Like the Topping DAC. Apollo has reliability issues. The NAD is built like a tank and sounds like a traditional CD player. The BADA is nice but I don’t know about reliability. Marantz/ Denon product sound a little warm. If you are running tube gear get the NAD. If you are running SS get the Marantz. This way you will balance the sound a little. Get a 14- 12 gauge power cable for the CD player. It will add weight to the sound even if it is a cheaper Amazon or Chinese cable. If you can swing the $240 go with the Puritan Classic Plus power cable. It mellows out that digital sound and adds sound stage and decay to the sound. Or should I say it lets the music play as it should. I also like to use Puritan power cables on streamers like a Sonos or BlueSound and DACs. Good luck and I hope this helped.
I would make sure it has digital outs. If it has RCA/Coax even better. I like the idea of you adding a DAC later on. R2R like the Denifrips Ares II is better on SS gear. If you are running tube gear a chip based system would’ve better. Like the Topping DAC. Apollo has reliability issues. The NAD is built like a tank and sounds like a traditional CD player. The BADA is nice but I don’t know about reliability. Marantz/ Denon product sound a little warm. If you are running tube gear get the NAD. If you are running SS get the Marantz. This way you will balance the sound a little. Get a 14- 12 gauge power cable for the CD player. It will add weight to the sound even if it is a cheaper Amazon or Chinese cable. If you can swing the $240 go with the Puritan Classic Plus power cable. It mellows out that digital sound and adds sound stage and decay to the sound. Or should I say it lets the music play as it should. I also like to use Puritan power cables on streamers like a Sonos or BlueSound and DACs. Good luck and I hope this helped.