CD-player for $1100 - Can I do any better?

The Sony DVP-NS900V modified by TRL is a good option if you can find one. You may also want to call TRL and talk to them about modding your existing CDP, or perhaps let them recommend other CDPs that with mods would fit your budget. I know they have done a number of Sony players, notably the 595 and 777 (see 6moons reviews on these), that would probably get you farther along than any of the options you mentioned.

The DAC is a great suggestion as well. There are several great ones to choose from under $1000 and even at the $500 price point. If your existing CDP is up to being a transport and you splurge on an excellent digital cable this could provide great bang for the buck.

Tonyptony - There are several great threads here on PC audio. Also, Audioengr (Steve Nugent from Empirical Audio) is an expert in this area and has excellent information on his website. I suggest you check this out. I heard a couple of Squeezebox set-ups at RMAF and was impressed, but not enough to ditch my transport/dac. I believe the future of digital audio is going in this direction, but its not there yet. We're just at the tip of the ice berg.

Distortion - TRL charges a standard fee of $550 for their mods. Do not ask what they do, they won't tell. If you're one of those that needs to know everything that is done to a modified unit then TRL is not for you. They offer a money back guarantee if you're not satisfied with their work. Check out my review on the TRL Audio Mirror here and you'll get an idea of what type of improvements you can expect.

Tonyptony,

I listened to the SB2s as modified by Red Wine Audio and Bolder Cable. Analog to DAC and using the internal DAC. External DAC was best. I also listened to the Off Ramp Turbo from Emprical. I thought the Off Ramp Turbo was better than the SB2. That being said I still stand by my TRL modified transport and DAC. My transport is an Alesis ML9600 that is also a CDP and HD storage/player, as well as CDR.

One item that has recently caught my eye is the Grace M902 headphone amp that has an internal DAC. It also has a USB input and balanced and RCA outputs. I may give that a whirl soon.

Tonyptony - I have emailed you with some information on the SB2.