Before you spend $2500 on a CD player, listen to a DVD-A and SACD player.
I think that the inherent superiority of the new disc media, even when played on an inexpensive universal player like the Pioneer DV45A ($400 to $500), more than equals the audio improvement possible through the esoteric circuitry and electronic components in High End CD players. There is a good argument that the 24-bit highly oversampled playback of regular CD's (that comes for free with the DVD capability) also improves the sound of these regular CDs.
Invest the extra $2000 wisely, and when the market settles down you can replace the inexpensive player with something from a High End manufacturer, so as to impress your audiophile buddies.
I think that the inherent superiority of the new disc media, even when played on an inexpensive universal player like the Pioneer DV45A ($400 to $500), more than equals the audio improvement possible through the esoteric circuitry and electronic components in High End CD players. There is a good argument that the 24-bit highly oversampled playback of regular CD's (that comes for free with the DVD capability) also improves the sound of these regular CDs.
Invest the extra $2000 wisely, and when the market settles down you can replace the inexpensive player with something from a High End manufacturer, so as to impress your audiophile buddies.