Any CDplayer with digital output on digitalAmp

Yes a Marantz SA-8004 for two channel playback would be an excellent choice in the $1K area. Another choice in that price range would be the Rotel RCD-1520. I purchased one earlier this year and love it. The front loading CD mechanism has been flawless. To me, that is superior to a mechanical drawer. Of course it's a Rotel and their audio performance is always superior for the price.

If you don't care about SACD, put the Audiolab 8200cdq on your list as well. Several digital filters which allow you to adjust to your liking. You can read review on 6 Moons. I also own the Rotel RCD1520 but this Audiolab is much more feature rich. I'm not saying the Rotel is not good, but you have so many choices as to how the Audiolab sounds that you're bound to be able to tweak to your liking.

• 32-bit/84.672MHz oversampled/upsampled, 512 element, multibit array DAC (four DACs per channel)
• 1920x oversampling with 44.1kHz source from CD/USB
• Asychronous USB supporting 24-bit/96kHz with driverless remote control of PC/Mac media player (via HID support)
• 2x 24-bit/192kHz coaxial S/PDIF digital inputs
• 2x 96kHz optical digital inputs
• 3x 2Vrms analogue line-level inputs
• Low jitter optical and coxial S/PDIF outputs
• Selectable analogue or digital preamplifier mode
• High-current, single-ended and balanced, discreet Class A output stage
• High-performance, direct-coupled, discrete Class A headphone amplifier
• Custom CD servo design – with ultra-low-noise PSU for OPU
• Full remote control and external remote I/O loop
• 34 regulated power supply rails
• 14 ultra-low-noise discrete regulators
• User-selectable digital filter settings – software upggradeable via USB port
• Master clock jitter less than 3psec short term
• Top-quality component parts used throughout, including: ultra-low-ESR capacitors; high-tolerance polypropylene film/foil capacitors; ultra-stable, very-low-VCR 0.1% MELF SMD resisitors; four-layer PCB

Thanks Pdn for your reply, and the Rotel RCD-1520 indeed is a very interesting choice to what I've read in the reviews. The flawless mechanism seems to be the closest to the Luxman CD109 if not better. However, realized that neither the Marantz SA-8004 nor the Rotel-1520 will give a choice of a USB connection to PC Windows to listen to flac files ripped from CD (hoping this way to extend the life of the CD player mechanism). Is this good reasoning?
Also, I am not able technically to compare [the CD player (Rotel-1520 or other) connected through its digital output to the LV109 amplifier] with [the output of a flac file driven across a USB connection to an Azur-851C connected through its digital output to the same LV109]. Are we expecting the same quality or a lesser one with USB connection?
I know the budget would be stretched with an Azur-851C, but under the $1.8K any other suggestions to reach the above goal or any other compromise to reach the best lasting choice? Thanks.