DVD player with excellent CD quality

Also check out Ayre's D-1. I didn't watch any movies with it, but listened to several CDs and a couple 24/96 DVDs. The 24/96 DVDs were astounding. Unfortunately, the entire system was new to me, not just a drop-in replacement into a system I was already familiar with -- but it sounded great. The whole system was the Ayre D1 DVD, K-1 pre, and a modified V-1 amp (an Ayre experiment to increase the capacatance in the V1 power supply), with Vandersteen speakers (can't remember the model number). Look at www.ayre.com/products/d1info.htm for more info on the DVD player.

Make sure you audition the California Audio Labs CAL-20. There are a few better CD players and/or transport/dac combos in the world...if bucks are not a problem and you wouln't mind shelling out about $8000+ of them. There are no better DVD players, that I know of, at any price. It's a pretty complete package for the money.

try the meridian 586. It smokes almost any cd player under 4 grand.

Like Carl, I also have the Panasonic A-310 that sounds pretty good even up against my Linn player. The A-310 does have a bad quality control record though. Luckily, no problems for me yet.

Sony 7000: bought it as a DVD player and junked the CD player when I discovered that the sound quality of the 7000 was much better. The 7000 received many components and design elements of the top of the line Sony CD players at the time and I hear this is not the case with any of the new Sony DVD players. Buy one used for $400/500 and you get a cheap CD player with the DVD thrown in for free!