PS Audio Ultralink DAC vs newer CD player

i am in the understanding that esoteric transports are excellent, also ps dac are of excellent quality. It is interesting that i have owned some older linn transport and dac equipment, which was very musical and ofcourse the build quality was first rate, as esoteric and ps, but i now own a 640 azur cd player and it sounds more musical and detailed than the older linn quality equipment that cost thousands per piece, while i have a 400 dollar player ,on sale, sounds wonderful. it is not like i don't know anything about equipment, i have owned marantz tubes in the 50s, quad in the 60s, ads ,now aerial,in the 70s , krell 80s, linn 90s...all high end ,high priced equipment which was worth everything i paid, at that time, but now, somehow, and i don't know how, some reasonable priced equipment is 85 percent as good or 95percent as good now, low cost , excellent musical output...i don't sell anything, i am just an ole time who loves to listen to music and spend tons of money on equipment, i now have 1700 in my system, it now sounds 90 percent as good as some of my 5 to 8 thousand dollars systems....buy the cambridge, you can always sell it...good listneing and thanks for letting me run off about the subject...