Another vote for the Marantz KI Ruby. My only legitimate comparison is to a Marantz 8005, like 8th-note above, that I upgraded from.. The Ruby does a much better job on the high end on my system, clearly delivering content with a clarity and presence not present with the 8005. I particularly noticed the difference early on when playing John McLaughlin’s East Indian group Shakti’s "Natural Elements" redbook CD. L. Shankar’s violin work sounded so wonderful on the Ruby, it alone made me quite happy with the cost of the upgrade before the Ruby even had any hours on it to fully break in.
How it compares to other CD/SACD players is beyond my scope. There was a bit more pricey Yamaha CD player in the running at the time of purchase, but I don’t remember the model number.
Mike