Another piece I'd recommend you investigate is the Music Hall CD25.2. I owned the previous version, the CD25, for a couple of years and it was the best player I heard in that price range. The newer version is supposed to be even better. There are several reviews online, including one from Stereophile. List price is $599 but it's available for $540 from Audio Advisor and probably a bit cheaper from some other online dealers.
If you don't mind buying used, a CD25 with upgraded opamps is pretty spectacular and well within your budget.
If you don't mind buying used, a CD25 with upgraded opamps is pretty spectacular and well within your budget.