Philips 963sa or NAD?

I auditioned 2 of those: the Philips 963 and the Nad C541i in my system at the same time for exactly the same purpose= redbook playback. I got both for almost the exact same price, and there were some thing things I liked better about the Philips: looks, drive mechanism, cd-text, convenience of very good DVD playback. When it came to redbook, the Nad took it hands down and stayed in my system. The only disclaimer I can offer is that my system is powered by a Nad integrated so there may be some synergy benefits.

Hope that helps

I own the Philips 963SA which I modded with the blackgate cap in the power supply. It's hard to beat for the price (about $430.00 with the mod). I am not familiar with the NAD units, though. Past DVD players include Denon DVD5000, Denon DVD2800, Denon DVD2800M2 and Denon DVD9000. All my denons died, some multiple times, and the DVD9000 ($3500.00) died in under a week. Anyway, back to the Philips; great bass, smooth mids and highs with no glare, and excellent soundstaging. Great on SACD's too, though I only own about a dozen. And, if it dies in a year or two I will not be upset.

System:
Philips 963SA (modded)
Anthem AVM20 pre/pro
Aragon 8008BB amp
B&W N805 Signitures on custom Amboyna Burl stands
Cardas Golden Cross XLR and Single ended Interconnects and Speaker Cables
Custom Home Theater/listening room with custom wall treatments (made by me)

Thanks for your comments. Do you know of any other cd players, in the same price range, as good as the NAD C541i (or the new C542)?
Thx