I'd get an Esoteric DV-50. This player does redbook amazingly, and does ALL other formats you could fity in there, and will soon have a DVI video output upgrade from TEAC. I'ts been rviewed by many mags/people, and almost all love it, some just really like it, but for the price (I paid $4500 new, they show up for ~$3500-3900 used) you'd be hard pressed to better it!!!
FWIW I also lean towards SACD, seems the mosr supported format, and seems it should be the better of the two, that said, many things I want/own only come in DVD-A, so until much further down the road, IF one format does outdo and eliminate the other, I'd go with a universal player.
FWIW I have had a Philips 963SA and Linn Unidisc 2.1 in my system, and the 963, while a great buy at the $370 new I paid, sounds pretty compressed to me. I guess I could mod it, but it seemed overkill at the time.... I like the sound of the unidisc, but must admit, it seriously lacks bass. It has that smooth A$$ Linn sound (Most of my gear is Linn right now...) but when compared to the DV-%), just was lacking in definition and accuracy....that last one comes from the wife.
So... I guess what I am saying is I would recomend a universal player until something settles out as the ONLY source....
FWIW I also lean towards SACD, seems the mosr supported format, and seems it should be the better of the two, that said, many things I want/own only come in DVD-A, so until much further down the road, IF one format does outdo and eliminate the other, I'd go with a universal player.
FWIW I have had a Philips 963SA and Linn Unidisc 2.1 in my system, and the 963, while a great buy at the $370 new I paid, sounds pretty compressed to me. I guess I could mod it, but it seemed overkill at the time.... I like the sound of the unidisc, but must admit, it seriously lacks bass. It has that smooth A$$ Linn sound (Most of my gear is Linn right now...) but when compared to the DV-%), just was lacking in definition and accuracy....that last one comes from the wife.
So... I guess what I am saying is I would recomend a universal player until something settles out as the ONLY source....