ML no39, Wadia 850, Classe 1.0, or Sony?

Tom, It is a rare individual indeed who has actually had more than one of these players in their possession. I think that is why you are getting feedback refering only to one player, and not any direct comparisons between the players. Unfortunately, I can only continue in that tradition. I own the Sony XA7-ES and enjoy it very much. I also listen to a lot of pop/rock music (Rickie Lee Jones, Maria McKee, Jude Cole, Michael McDermott, etc). I listened to a Wadia (can't remember which) and it was excellent. Pretty much all Levinson products perform well also (although I didn't listen to any of their CD players). I don't know anything about the Classe. What prompted me to buy the Sony over other top players was: 1)Price - since it is now a discontinued model, you can pick one up CHEAP. I bought mine for $1,500 - Brand New. 2)Warranty - 5 Years. 3)Service - Sony service is readily available across the 50 states. I have not been disappointed in the least and it is an incredible bargain compared to the other units you are evaluating. Sorry I can not offer any direct comparisons, but I hope you find this information helpful nonetheless.

CD50, $1600 or less, used. I just don't see any of these beating it in any way. You don't even need to spend a lot on a preamp, since you don't need one. I wish you were in my area, you could hear mine.

You could buy a used Accuphase DP-75. I looked at the ML No.39, and at the much more expensive ML 30.5/31.5 combo. And everyone familiar with these set-ups recommended the Accuphase player, without hesitation. I was surprised as I have never heard much about Accuphase products. But, it appears to be an excellent choice--though it's pricey if you buy it new. There are several on Audiogon for sale. Otherwise, I would have to say audition the Wadia first, then the ML No.39. And pick the best fit. HTH.

I owned both the Wadia 830 and the XA7ES. I spent about 20 hours comparing them, and I seriously could not tell them apart sonically. I felt the Sony had some nice practical features such as one touch track selection and the way-cool remote door open. I also loved the sony's aesthetics and build quality. It just made me feel special. The Wadias build quality was quite good too.

I just purchased the ML No. 39. I auditioned the Wadia 850. Aside from performance I would not buy the Wadia due to their current financial problems (their major investor walked away and are currently are in bankruptcy/searching for a new sugar daddy. You may have noticed a MASSIVE influx of nice used pcs. on Audiogon...caused by nervous owners who don't want to own an expensive cdp from a defunct company) My personal feeling is that they will find someone to carry on where the old investor left off, however, I personally would not purchase a new/used Wadia right now. Fortunately...I preferred the no. 39. Both are spacious and open sounding and quite detailed. The Wadia tends to lean toward the dark side while the no. 39 has some interesting neutral/brighter characteristics that I associate with solid state gear. I run a CJ premier 11A tube amp with the Levinson for a wonderful balance. Madrigal offers a 5 year warranty and I do not forsee them going anywhere soon.