Music Hall is a good safe bet, I have one in my bedroom but at what you can get a Denon 3910 for used now that is what I would do. Even though SACD playback is not important to you, the 3910 is a very respectable sounding CD player and of course is a very good DVD player.
Budget CDP: Cambridge 640c, Marantz CD5003, what?
I have a close friend whose JVC 1010, which I gave him years ago, has finally died (after 20 years!). His system is vintage Vandersteen 2's with an Eagle amp and Bryston pre. It's a lively-sounding system, but he's not at all an audiophile. He is resisting my suggestions to spend decent money to replace the JVC, so I'm looking at CDPs in the $400 range. The Cambridge and Marantz seem like safe bets, but I have no idea what they sound like and which would pair best with his system. The JVC was very clean-sounding with a slightly elevated and thin treble and a lean bass. Something that is not a huge departure from that would probably be safest. He wants reliability and longevity. SACD not desired. Thoughts?