The best CD player new or used for under 500

If you're using a Link DAC, then you need a good transport to read the CDs, not a CD player. The DAC replaces the rest of the CD player's electronics. The D500 has a decent Sony transport. The BNC is the same signal as Coax, so you can just get an adapter at Radio Shack. I have a spare Apogee digital cable that is BNC on one end and RCA on the other if you're interested. The best transport for under $500 is to find a Aiwa XC-35M or XC-37M CD Changer. They were recently discontinued, so you will have to look around. You could call around you're local Best Buy's and see if they have any left. They are on eBay a lot. $100 or less. You can use it as is, or send it to Stan Warren for modification for another $150. Can't be beat.

The Cambridge would be my first choice for a stand alone under $500 CD player new or used.

Sugarbrie is dead right about the Awia. Don't let the name fool you, this engineering anomoly is absolutely first rate, and beats up many transports that cost over $2000!

I got lucky and got a Theta Data Basic 2 for $375.00. I have no complaints.

sony scd 333es with the bonus of sacd a very solid player

You may also want to consider sending your link DAC to Stan Warren also for some excellent mods.

I am using an Arcam Alpha 7se as a transport. I have seen these used for around $250. They have very fine transports because they were made to be upgradable to the Alpha 9. That upgrade changed only the DAC meaning that the Alpha 7se has the identical transport to the 9 and both RCA s/PDIF out and a toslink out.

Given the 24/96 requirement specified in Dave43's, how about one of the Pioneer DVD players? Even brand new there are several current models that sell for well under $500 and there are slightly older ones from the Elite series that are extremely well built that can be bought for under that amount. I get superb results with the DV 525 working in conjunction with an Encore Ovation DAC which isn't even an upsampling unit as I believe the MSB is. By the way the manufacturer of the highly regarded Bel Canto upsampling DAC 1 specifically recommends the use of such 24/96 capable DVD units with his design; I have no idea what MSB thinks along these lines.

Pioneer Elite PD-65 (modified)

I realize that this suggestion does not, strictly speaking, fit your budget, but if you can stretch enough to spend $675, there is a used Adcom GCD-750 currently listed here on A-gon. This is an outstanding CD player, and if you can find $175 extra to spend, you will be getting a superb player for your expenditure.

I would get either a CAL Delta transport or an old theta transport. Actually a theta pearl just went a few days ago for 500. It looks great in silver and was almost as good as my levinson 37 when i had it. Any of these three would be great options. Just dont buy a cd player i would stick to a transport as you dont need the dac for any reasons. - Ian