The best CD Player for the money

Stereophile CD Player Class A of 1998 Meridian 508.24. Simply one of the best in the world at ANY price!!!

A used Meridian 508.24 can be had for around $2000ish. A great player (many rave reviews and Stereophile 1997 or 1998 "Product Of The Year"). It is amazing at isolating each instrument. The music overall, the individual instruments, the resonance of those instruments, every little sound, just presents itself to you. For the price, you can't go wrong.

The best CD player by far, paired with B&W N804s Bryston 250 W amplification, is the Cary CD 301. This has a four tube output stage. This doesn't have all the detail of the Wadia or Levinson, but make no mistake, it has the best sound stage, width, depth, separation, imaging, and overall live reproduction.

Meridian 508.24: I'm far away from thinking about upgrading this beauty. Works excellent as transport and DAC, and renders the MUSIC -you know what I mean!- in its full glory!

Under $1,000, the Rega Planet hands down. You can find one used for about $500 and be happy. The new model Planet just went up in price to about $950 so anything used might represent good value. Have heard alot of players and if the rest of your system is up to snuff, feel you should at least audition any of the Naim players. Nothing I have heard to date can reproduce the pace, rhythm and speed of a live event like a Naim.