Transports

Check out Cyrus. They make a couple transports that are brilliant. The CD t is $1299. They do have one that is higher end, the CDt XR but that lists for $3499. Obviously the XR unit is above your range but the base unit is excellent and is the non-dac version of an award winning CD player.

I am a Cyrus Dealer. 

I have owned many transports, and players used as transports, over the decades.  

I had been using my moded Oppo 105 (LPS, Furutec IEC with silver tail to the power supply and jumper to bypass the 110/220 switch). I play SACDs direct to my Audio Alchemy DDP-1 + PS 5, but I use a Pangea XLSE digital coax ($169 from AudioAdvisor) to the DDP 1 internal dac for redbook. I have/had a Marantz HD CD-1 as a backup, but recently decided to reinsert it as redbook transport. It is/was quite a it better, but quickly started making a scratching sound. I took it apart and located the problem, but it isn’t a simple fix, requiring a new mechanism @ $150+ shipping. No bueno

I started investigating reasonably priced transports and read the attached review of the Audiolab 6000 (@~$650 new). I found a slightly used one on Agon (at a great price): it should arrive this Thursday

hth