Rega or Sony from a "digital dope"

As an analog lover, I feel compeled to steer you a completely different direction from the above recommendations. In my experience, the best sounding (and by far, the most "analog sounding") digital gear under $2k, is gear modified by Stan Warren. In fact, both myself and many of Stan's other customers have done A/B comparisons of his modified gear to other "recommended" units. In our findings, his units (no matter what he modified), always sounded less strident, with a fuller sound stage and better dynamics than the other "recommended" units at least 2x more in price, i.e. from a cost standpoint, his modified gear is an absolute no brainer. Additionaly, Stan has dicovered many different budget price point units (from as little as $300 to as much as $1500) which each represent the most bang for the buck at their respective price point (after he has modified them). If there is one downside to using Stan Warren's services, it is that he is a very busy man. It can take upwards of 8 weeks (sometimes even more) to get a unit turned around. Stan is only one man, who is trying to raise an entire family on his own, and is not in this business to make himself rich. He is a humble man, who has always served the sane audiophile who loves music, not the guy who lives to own the latest greatest gear at any cost. I just wish there were more guys like Stan in this business. After you hear one of his modified units, you will wonder what everyone else has been paying all this money for. Yes, in my opinion, he is really that good.