If you can stretch your budget to $1,400, the Doge 6 CD player at Pacific Valve is really excellent for the money. I understand that the CDP is manufactured in the same Chinese manufacturing faciity that produces the Jolida electronics. The Doge 6 CDP uses six tubes in its output stage - four 12AX7s and a pair of 12AT7s in a shunt-regulated push-pull circuit.
I am running the Doge 6 in my SET system and have found the sound quality to be excellent - significantly better than you would ever expect in this price range. The MHZS CD players mentioned above are also imported by Pacific Valve. They are more affordable than the Doge 6 and are also said to be a step down in quality of sound (but excellent in their own right).
I am running the Doge 6 in my SET system and have found the sound quality to be excellent - significantly better than you would ever expect in this price range. The MHZS CD players mentioned above are also imported by Pacific Valve. They are more affordable than the Doge 6 and are also said to be a step down in quality of sound (but excellent in their own right).