Wadia 861se with GNS vs Esoteric or Emm players

Hi Btstrg. I'm trying to stay away from new buys. I figure that, if I sell my Wadia 861se and add 2-3k cash, I should have about 7-9k to work with. The Reference upgrade for the Wadia is $1850. Although, I could get the 581 and get the upgrade later... a lot of possibilities to think about. Thanks! Stan

Thanks for all your responses. After weighing everything out and talking to Steve @ GNS, I've decided to send my 861se in for the Statement upgrade in early January. Steve said that the 581 is a better cd player in some ways, but the 861se with Statement upgrade will have better bass authority and the SE transport mechanism and tray are built like a tank. Since I listen to alot of music from the early 1970's--(Hendrix, Yes, Pink Floyd, Clapton), I feel that this is a better direction to go. Thanks again for taking the time to answer my question. Best wishes. Stan

Rhyno, Contact Steve at Great Northern Sound concerning the differences. He'll send you a breakdown as to what is done for each upgrade--Basic, Reference, Statement--and also what to expect as to the improvement in sound. Steve emailed all this to me as a file. Stan