Addressing the original question,
I went from a SCD-777ES to the Marantz SA8260 so I could have multichannel, and didn't feel like I lost much in sound quality. For what you're looking for I'd recommend almost any of the cheaper Sonys or Marantz' (and the 8260 is quite good at about $700+ new). Using a 'cheaper' digital source is like driving a budget(relative to the 'best' you could afford, which can be quite good) car. You get plenty of enjoyment from it and the enjoyment is multiplied by the fact you didn't break your wallet! That said, I do put my RB CD's into an Ayre CX-7 instead of the Marantz...
I went from a SCD-777ES to the Marantz SA8260 so I could have multichannel, and didn't feel like I lost much in sound quality. For what you're looking for I'd recommend almost any of the cheaper Sonys or Marantz' (and the 8260 is quite good at about $700+ new). Using a 'cheaper' digital source is like driving a budget(relative to the 'best' you could afford, which can be quite good) car. You get plenty of enjoyment from it and the enjoyment is multiplied by the fact you didn't break your wallet! That said, I do put my RB CD's into an Ayre CX-7 instead of the Marantz...