The Cary 303 is a ss player with much better detail than the standard (tubed) 301, which retains the 301's midrange warmth but adds bass/slam. A change of tubes and some tweaking can improve the sound/detail of the Cary 301 - see reviews at Audioreview. The Meridian DVD/CD unit is likely to be pricey, but if it sounds like the 508.24, it will be one fine player.
Cary CD 301, 303 or Other? Best Uprade?
B&W N804 System Upgrade - Cary CD? B&W N804 Speakers, Bryston 3B-ST Amp, Velodyne Subs, B&K AC3/DTS Surround Sound Processor, Sony DVD/CD player, Adcom 5 disc carosel, N Center, B&W Bipolar Rears, Synergistic interconnect, along with Kimber. I recently connected my N804s to a 300W Classe, and a 250W Bryson, used a Classe pre, and the Cary CD 301. Both amps created a fantastic sound stage reproducing a real life experience (just like a jazz club). By far the best listening experience ever, no price dependencies and systems compared to in great stores. Noticed that the Cary CD sound gave a great soundstage and separation. However, it may be giving up a little too much in detail and does not have HDCD. I'm looking for recommendations on going with any of the following upgrades: (1st choice) Cary CD 301 or 303 (2nd) Bryston 3BST to bi-amp the N804s (3rd) 250+W Bryston or another great amp (4th) Sony 9000ES DVD/SACD player (5th) Better pre/surround sound processor I think my CD is in dtrastic need of an overhaul, and I want to get the best sound out of my system. (60% Audio, 40% Movies)