Best Value/Performance In An SACD Player For $2k, Or Less, Used?

My old dealer would not sell used laser players. Can't be sure the laser would last. I know I had a used Elite player I got cheap, but I only got a couple of years out of it. 

My Sony XA5400 ES is tied with one or two other pieces as the best audiophile gear investment I have made in 20+ years. Mine is about 8 years old and going strong, but that is with fairly light use. Never heard the claim about early laser failure.

It is outstanding for SACDs, both stereo and multichannel. Added bonus: if you do want to play redbook CDs it has a 4X oversampling filter and beats any CD player I have heard, ever, including at high-end audio shows.

My favorite feature is the ability to send the pure DSD data (as opposed to PCM output) directly to a Marantz pre-pro over HDMI, then decoded within the pre-pro. There are other pre-pros with this ability, you just have to check the specs.

In every demo, whether CD or SACD, people were blown away. Sometimes upset because it sounded better than super high-end players that they had payed thousands of dollars more for, such as Esoteric.

You could probably get a used one from a reputable Audiogon seller for approx. $1200-$1400, then pay a few hundred for laser replacement if it ever happens.

I have been listening to my Sony SCD-1 with Vacuum State Level 5+ mods this week (I am short a DAC for the next few weeks). This unit is incredible with SACD's.

However, my unit's display is mostly dead now. I comes back occasionally. I think I am close to the end of life for this amazing player. 

I would look at a new SACD model as opposed to something like what I have.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts. And, daddy0, your comments were particularly insightful, as I have though about picking up an XA5400 ES for a number of years. Per your recommendation, I was able to grab one in mint condition, having only been used to play a maximum of 20 cds/sacd't, total in it's time with the old owner. Even better, I picked it up for $920.00 plus shipping. 

Very eager to receive it, and fire it up in my system. I'm not even sure the unit qualifies as having been broken in yet!