The CAL Icon MKII is a very decent player / transport but I prefer the Denon DCD-1650AR. I've had both of these in my system running as stand-alone CD players and later with the MSB Gold Link III DAC. The Denon is a current Stereophile Class-B player using 4 20-bit DACs and weighs a hefty 35 Lbs. The Icon MKII is an older design that came out in the early 90's while the Denon became available around '98 '99.
The Denon DCD-1650AR sounded more natural in my system vs the Icon MKII when used stand-alone. I just sold the Denon a couple weeks ago for $525 for a quick sale and it was in perfect condition. The Icon MKII can be found for less than $425 in perfect condition. I wouldn't pay much more for this older player. If wear and tear are a concern, I would get one that isn't too old.
This still leaves some budget left for a DAC and you can start with a basic new MSB Link DAC III or maybe a used one with Full-Nelson upgrade. This will come in at just about $1000.
http://mycollins.net/audio/dcdfr.jpg
http://mycollins.net/audio/dcdrack.jpg
The Denon DCD-1650AR sounded more natural in my system vs the Icon MKII when used stand-alone. I just sold the Denon a couple weeks ago for $525 for a quick sale and it was in perfect condition. The Icon MKII can be found for less than $425 in perfect condition. I wouldn't pay much more for this older player. If wear and tear are a concern, I would get one that isn't too old.
This still leaves some budget left for a DAC and you can start with a basic new MSB Link DAC III or maybe a used one with Full-Nelson upgrade. This will come in at just about $1000.
http://mycollins.net/audio/dcdfr.jpg
http://mycollins.net/audio/dcdrack.jpg