Best 2CH SACD Player for $2k Or Less, New or Used?

Look into a used Modwright Sony 9100 w/tube power supply and if you could find a used Modwright 5400 with the same ps even better. The Modwright mod on it is disarmingly good sounding compared to the standard and is as good sounding as any player at ridiculous prices. The 999 or 9000 are older Sony mods that also sound excellent. Each version is a little better. The Modwright mods make the units dynamic, transparent, detailed, and more beautiful sounding. Dan also does a current mod on the Oppo 95 (extremely good), or find a used Oppo 83. All these players are cd/sacd, but the Oppos will also play any format. You will not do better for the money and you will have to spend stupid money (10,000+) to do marginally better and some areas might still be a downgrade. I've had the 9000 and now have a 9100 and it will not be replaced unless it craps out--although Dan would definitely fix it reasonably. I also had another highly rated on reviews mod while I had the 9000, just to compare sound of mods. It really was no comparison. Any of the players I've mentioned had much more immediacy, dynamics, live qualities, detail, and layering of sound than a $3000.00 Ayre CX-7, to give a reference. Comparatively, the Ayre (a very good and well built player) sounds like boring background music.

Abind,
I've had both mods on a Sony 9000--VSE and Modwright. The Modwright's sound was such an unbelievably great sound and improvement on anything I'd ever heard in my system up to that point (Ayre CX-7 was the previous winner although I didn't buy that unit--didn't think it was worth the 3000.00 in better sound--very beautiful sound, ok bass, not the last word in dynamics). The MW 9000 was everything I could ask for and played SACD's too. Seriously, everything Dan Wright has done has been great sounding. The VSE 9000 was very detailed from the mids up but the bass wasn't satisfying and the dynamics were well behind the MW. I didn't listen to cds much when I had the VSE. I almost prefered cds to vinyl when I had MW. And I was a strict vinyl first dude prior to it. I now have the MW 9100 with all of Dan's mods and it is even better sounding than the 9000. I would never have sold the 9000 except Dan gave me a unbelievable deal on the 9100 I couldn't pass up plus it was 4 years newer and therefore, likely to last longer. As was said earlier, if you see a MW player on Agon, better act fast--you won't be sorry.