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Absolute Best CD Players Out There Under $12k ?

Ok, I'm looking to upgrade my CD Player. It's the last part of my uber-headphone system and I'm hoping to get the best player possible for under $12k used. I know that affords me alot of options, and I imagine I'll do some travelling and testing before I buy, but I wanted some opinions first. Right now, these are the main ones I'm considering:

*Reimyo CDP-777
*Linn Sondek CD12
*Naim CDS3/XPS2
*Wadia 270/27
*Wadia 861se w/Statement mod from GNSC
*Meridian 808
*EMM Labs Meitner CDSD/Dac6
*Esoteric DV-50 with full mods from Reference Audio Mods
*Classe Omega SACD

I'm not so much into characteristics - the overall performance is more important for me. But I do need a player with great bass (both in extension, detail, and volume) as my headphones are a bit bass shy. Any reviews/comparisons would be much appreciated.
no1willfan

Showing 1 response by rcprince

rcprince
3,080 posts
 
Having heard the dCS stack, the EMM Labs gear, the Wadia 27/270 and the Linn, I would choose the EMM from those choices principally because it does SACD and I like SACD far more than redbook. If it were just redbook, though, I'd go with the Linn, it isn't the most detailed or revealing but it just sounds "right" to me--the others are a little too analytical for my taste (Meitner's sound surprised me, quite the opposite of what I would have expected given his early CD3 CD player, still one of my old favorites). And I'd choose (and have chosen) my Forsell/Audio Logic combination over all of them, but I am admittedly an unabashed fan of those pieces, as my posts will attest, so take that for what it's worth.
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