First check if the titles you like are available on SACD/DVD-A. That was my mistake - after purchasing an universal player I discovered that I barely have four titles on SACD I would really like to buy.
And, IMHO, Larryi is right: "There are inevitable compromises when a machine has to do more than one task. If you are looking in a lower price range, I bet the compromises will be even more extreme." Anyways, if we're talking SACD, in your price range I would only consider Marantz 8260, though I personally didn't like the coloration of sound it produces. Very good CDP playing a good CD will sound better then average universal player, IMHO.
And, IMHO, Larryi is right: "There are inevitable compromises when a machine has to do more than one task. If you are looking in a lower price range, I bet the compromises will be even more extreme." Anyways, if we're talking SACD, in your price range I would only consider Marantz 8260, though I personally didn't like the coloration of sound it produces. Very good CDP playing a good CD will sound better then average universal player, IMHO.