I'm going to throw a curve ball. Back in the SACD days, Pioneer put out a universal player (in this country designated 578A.) John Atkinson mentioned it in an article or review as having the most accurate instrumental timbres of even the most expensive players. He wasn't kidding, folks. I picked one up on closeout. But beyond the timbre, the transport was the same as Pioneer (probably sourced from them) and has been far more reliable than the Sony's. The amplifier stage is cheap and two dimensional, but as a transport it is rock solid compared to any of my other CD sources. I use it with a BelCanto e1 3.0 DAC with excellent results.
Find one used, give them a $100 bill, and buy yourself dinner with the change.
Find one used, give them a $100 bill, and buy yourself dinner with the change.