Pmboyd, I hope you will not mind if I jump in and ask my own related question here rather than start a new thread.
I'm also using a good DAC and feeding it largely from a headless Mac Mini server. But I still want to have easy-to-use, traditional CD playback in my system. I think my DAC (Bryston) will do a good job handling incoming jitter, so I'm not going to worry too much about sonics. My main criteria are human factors: I want a front loader with fast action, easy-access buttons, a good display, and a good remote. And it should be a workhorse. I think I'll be satisfied with a modest, mid-fi CD player so long as it meets these other requirements, but something like an Oppo DVD player does not (remote too busy, display too small, front panel too few controls).
Any suggestions? Would like to spend no more than $300-$400 used if I can.
I'm also using a good DAC and feeding it largely from a headless Mac Mini server. But I still want to have easy-to-use, traditional CD playback in my system. I think my DAC (Bryston) will do a good job handling incoming jitter, so I'm not going to worry too much about sonics. My main criteria are human factors: I want a front loader with fast action, easy-access buttons, a good display, and a good remote. And it should be a workhorse. I think I'll be satisfied with a modest, mid-fi CD player so long as it meets these other requirements, but something like an Oppo DVD player does not (remote too busy, display too small, front panel too few controls).
Any suggestions? Would like to spend no more than $300-$400 used if I can.