Universal disc players as CD players.

I have for years. Pioneer CLD 704, Arcam DV88, Oppo 205. I dislike unnecessary redundancy. All were as good sounding at their price point in their time as dedicated CD only players.

I use a McIntosh MVP881. It's a convenient one-box solution. The audio is excellent and the video is more than good enough for my use.

I use an Ayre DX-5 DSD with balanced analog to a KX-5 Twenty for stereo, HDMI audio to a Bryston SP3 processor that sends balanced analog front LR to a by-pass input of the KX-5 and surround to a pair of NAD C288 amps.  HDMI video from the DX-5 DSD goes directly to the projector.  The sound is superb as is the Anchor Bay video the DX-5 uses.

I might catch some slack here but here goes. Any decent disc player will sound pretty good. The high end players are better but the disc player usually isn't the weak link in a system. If your system tune and cabling is adjusted to get the best out of a player it will sound damn good. 

Universals are most all I buy. Sony ES, Pioneer Elite, Denon, Marantz, and ARCAM. Some of us contributed to a thread a while ago listing modest tweaks that pay great dividends for exceptional sound and video.

Another +vote for AYRE DX-5 / DX-5 DSD universal players.
Superb.

Happy Listening!

I use an Oppo 105 as a transport into my Bryston DAC3.    The transport is important but the DAC is more so.  Lately I’ve been experimenting with using my Melco as a transport via USB into the same DAC and it may sound a tinge better but it’s definitely clunkier

In my experience, dedicated CD players have superior sound with CDs than multi-format players.  I've owned the Oppo 205, the Esoteric X05 and some others, but I have never liked the sound of CDs as much as I liked the sound of the Naim players or the EAR Acute or my CXC/Heed combo I'm using now.  Perhaps with very expensive players in the 10k+ range, the CD playback is on par with good dedicated players.  Of course, everything is about what you personally hear.  

To me, my Beta WAS better. NOT dramatically so.
The same with DVD-A. But it IS easier to rip surround.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/how-good-is-the-ayre-dx-5-universal-as-a-cd-player

I use an Oppo DV-981HD in a second system at my cabin. It was ok then I realized i had a MyDac sitting around and added that and wow big improvement with just low end DAC. The Oppo is slow and alone it is not that great.

I have an OPPO BDP-205. When playing CDs, I can’t tell the difference between the onboard DAC and the DAC in my Ayre QX-5 20. This is my third Oppo and each has been an upgrade over the previous one. My last dedicated CD player was a Rega Planet 2000 and the BDP-85, which was my first Oppo was better than that Rega, no question (eg my wife said so). 
That said, I almost never use cds anymore, I just rip and stream with Roon as there is no audible difference in my system.

I use a Esoteric DV-50 kind of old but still amazing.