new cd player for $1500.00?

Save a little money and try a Jolida JD-100, sounds like a perfect fit. Tubes can make a big difference on this machine and it has great resale. Certainly worth a try.

If you dont mind used (I realize you said "new" but I will assume you mean new to you) I strongly recommend the Resolution Audio CD55, Arcam CD33, or the Audio Aero Prima. Each has a little different flavor but all are great CDPs.

If you can bump up the budget a little... the Resolution Audio Opus 21, Exemplar Denon 2900, or Modwright's Sony 999. Different flavors here too but these are really good CDPs, IMO you'll have to spend a good deal more to gain only medest improvements.

you'll love the VSE mod, it's completely satisfying...

vsei (don't know about the other modders) even gives a 30-day money back guarantee. If you don't like the sound of your modded sony, you send it back, they remove the mods and send your machine back in its original state. Only catch is, you have to pay for shipping both ways, which in most cases will total no more than $100, but that's not a high price to pay compared to the price of the mods (~$1500 for level 5 unbalanced, quite a bit more for balanced level 5, and less for levels 1-4). I was going to go with Modwright until I found out about the above guarantee, but as yet I haven't sent my sony 9000es anywhere.

ditto the recommendation on a current mod unit. TRL, VSE, Modwright. Check the classifieds, or just send a used recommended unit to any of these top modders.

watch for the new Cambridge Audio 840c . . .

You might want to check out a modded Sony dvp-ns900v by TRL for less than $1500. I just got mine and the results are stunning. It just blew away my modded Phillips SACD 1000 in every aspects.

Yes I have. Spent about 1.5 hours comparing. They were pretty close to the same quality in the bass region but, the Apollo was better in every other area.

Musical Fidelity A308 CD player should be just what you are looking for.

Eldarado, have you done a direct comparison between the new Rega and the 1072?

I agree with Eldarado regarding the Rega Apollo. At $995.00 retail it really delivers the music. I absolutely love mine. Highly recommended. Good luck in your search.

I listened the Rega Apollo and thought it was outstanding for the price. It was better than anything below 2k that I have listened to in the past. The Sim Equinox ($2.2k) was slightly better. The Apollo is much better than the highly regarded Rotel 1072. Good luck.