Best DVD plyr for under 1000 new or used ?

I would suggest that you consider the Kenwood Sovereign DV 5700. While the list on the 5700 is $1,200, you can find them within your price range. I have the Pioneer Pro 510 and am very, very pleased with the PQ and sound. I bought and returned the Sony 9000ES which, being a Sony DVD fan, was very hard for me to do. In my opinion, the Sony did not produce nearly as good of a picture as the EAD TVP. I am less concerned with DVD-A or SACD. I am most concerned with picture quality and the 5700 really delivers in that department. You also may wish to consider the new Philips 962 which incorporates the same chipset as the 5700 and retails for about $600. Based on several threads at www.avsforum.com, the sound quality seems to be pretty good as well.

Tim, With the price drop on the 9000, I am thinking about buying another unit also. In my opinion, the technology will change a lot over the next 12-18 months. As a result, I am reluctant to spend $3,000+ on a DVD player and don't want to spend upwards of $5k for an external doubler. The 9000 has great build quality and I am more than a casual Sony DVD fan. Having said that, I have to reconcile not having a picture as good as the one I saw on my set using the TVP. However, the Kenwood comes very, very close to the TVP (and IMO betters the TVP in certain respects). The question of whether SACD or DVD-A will prevail is not one that I particularly concerned with, as my principle interest is getting the highest PQ.