I've not owned any of the top tier players, but I've heard the Esoteric X-03 and DV-50; APL, Modwright, and Exemplar modified Denon 3910s; and the Audio Aero Capitole. I've auditioned numerous players below this price-point as well--Electrocompaniet EMC 1-Up, Cary 303/300, Ayre C7Xe, McIntosh MC-201, Audio Aero Prima, Lector 0.6T, Unison Unico CD, Sim Audio 5.3 and Equinox, BAT VK-D5, Modwright Sony 999ES, Music Hall Maverick, Audio Refinement Complete, and JoLida JD-100.
Performance is, as everyone says repeatedly, "system dependent." But I endorse, for qualities of clean and balanced sound, any of the modified Denon 3910 players. Also the Esoteric X-03, which may be better on SACD and on the level of the modded players on redbook. The APL Denon 3910 may be give the most transparent and uncolored window into the music. For smoothness and warmth, the Electrocompaniet and BAT VK-D5 are wonderful, with the BAT a shade more resolving and dynamic. Probably the most dynamic player I listened to was the Lector 0.6T, and it also has some refinement and responds very well to tube-rolling with quality NOS. Audio Aero Prima is refined, but a bit rolled-off in the highs for my taste. Sim Audio players are built like tanks and are highly resolving and dynamic-particularly exciting for rock and jazz. The Ayre C7Xe is a splendidly refined player, very well balanced throughout the frequencies, but I'd venture to say it's best suited to SS amps or more linear tube amps as it choked the midrange bloom of my Cary integrated SLI-80. The McIntosh MC-201 is a fine universal player that I think works best with other McIntosh equipment. The Unison Unico CD sounded somewhat like the Ayre and Prima players, with a bit more bloom and less refinement and resolution. I bought the Cary 303/300 for synergy, versatility (several upsampling DACS, both tube and SS output stages, balanced and RCA outs, variable output), relative warmth, and overall build-quality. The Audio Refinement Complete is a great, great bargain and a very musical SS player (I have one).
Finally, in terms of best bang for the buck, I'd recommend the JoLida JD-100--unmodified. It is an excellent player, particularly at its under $1K price point. Dynamic, smooth, harmonically rich, exciting. It lacks that last bit of extension and refinement, but it gets, I'd say, 85% of the music--of all kinds--extraordinarily well. I played rock, Ellington and 60s combo jazz, opera, orchestral symphonic, and choral music on it and it got EVERYTHING wonderfully except choral, where it fell short in resolution and transparency for massed treble voices at dynamic peaks.
Good luck.
Performance is, as everyone says repeatedly, "system dependent." But I endorse, for qualities of clean and balanced sound, any of the modified Denon 3910 players. Also the Esoteric X-03, which may be better on SACD and on the level of the modded players on redbook. The APL Denon 3910 may be give the most transparent and uncolored window into the music. For smoothness and warmth, the Electrocompaniet and BAT VK-D5 are wonderful, with the BAT a shade more resolving and dynamic. Probably the most dynamic player I listened to was the Lector 0.6T, and it also has some refinement and responds very well to tube-rolling with quality NOS. Audio Aero Prima is refined, but a bit rolled-off in the highs for my taste. Sim Audio players are built like tanks and are highly resolving and dynamic-particularly exciting for rock and jazz. The Ayre C7Xe is a splendidly refined player, very well balanced throughout the frequencies, but I'd venture to say it's best suited to SS amps or more linear tube amps as it choked the midrange bloom of my Cary integrated SLI-80. The McIntosh MC-201 is a fine universal player that I think works best with other McIntosh equipment. The Unison Unico CD sounded somewhat like the Ayre and Prima players, with a bit more bloom and less refinement and resolution. I bought the Cary 303/300 for synergy, versatility (several upsampling DACS, both tube and SS output stages, balanced and RCA outs, variable output), relative warmth, and overall build-quality. The Audio Refinement Complete is a great, great bargain and a very musical SS player (I have one).
Finally, in terms of best bang for the buck, I'd recommend the JoLida JD-100--unmodified. It is an excellent player, particularly at its under $1K price point. Dynamic, smooth, harmonically rich, exciting. It lacks that last bit of extension and refinement, but it gets, I'd say, 85% of the music--of all kinds--extraordinarily well. I played rock, Ellington and 60s combo jazz, opera, orchestral symphonic, and choral music on it and it got EVERYTHING wonderfully except choral, where it fell short in resolution and transparency for massed treble voices at dynamic peaks.
Good luck.