Indeed, imgoodwithtools, you know precisely what you should do: ARC Ref. CD8. Lo and behold, there's a real nice, lightly used one on the block here at A'Gon right now, and you don't need to spend $5K. Its offered by some member goes by the moniker, Whitecap. Check it out.
New or Old CD Player?
Let's say I have $5K, tops, to buy a CD player. I don't need digital inputs, outputs, etc. I don't need to spin SACD's. I only intend to play Redbook CD's and want a one-box solution. Would my money be better spent on a new unit, like maybe a Hegel Mohican? Or should I buy a component that was close to state of the art a decade ago? Like maybe a Simaudio 750D, or an Audio Research Reference CD8? Thoughts?