oppo, oppo, oppo. Try it and see. I have one and others, Sony Cal labs, and the oppo often puts them to shame. Buy and don't like? Easy, return it free if you order on the Big River.
Best sounding CD player for under $500?
No, I'm not joking! :-) I'm about to have to lay out a fair amount of money to have my SOTA Sapphire turntable refurbished by SOTA, and I also need to plunk down some money for a new pair of loudspeakers to replace the Vandersteen's that are now much too big for my new, downsized listening room, which also has the double for a guest bedroom.
So I am looking for a CD player, even a mass-market one, that sounds as good as possible for the price. I am setting an absolute, upper limit for this of $500, maximum, and if it comes in at well under $500, so much the better. Since I have, or will have, a very nice analog front end with "miles" of vinyl to listen to once the system comes together, I don't see the CD player choice as being life-and-death at this point. It's just that I have a growing collection of CDs to play, of necessity. So, I don't care what the brand name is... for that matter, it can be a mass-market player that I can pick up at a big-box electronics store. So here's a different kind of challenge for you experts: what's the best sounding, currently available "cheapie" CD player you've heard? :-)
So I am looking for a CD player, even a mass-market one, that sounds as good as possible for the price. I am setting an absolute, upper limit for this of $500, maximum, and if it comes in at well under $500, so much the better. Since I have, or will have, a very nice analog front end with "miles" of vinyl to listen to once the system comes together, I don't see the CD player choice as being life-and-death at this point. It's just that I have a growing collection of CDs to play, of necessity. So, I don't care what the brand name is... for that matter, it can be a mass-market player that I can pick up at a big-box electronics store. So here's a different kind of challenge for you experts: what's the best sounding, currently available "cheapie" CD player you've heard? :-)