what cd player to buy

Hi Juan, another guitarmaker here.

For the price, the NAD is a nice player and personally I might choose it over the Cambridge because it is smoother sounding. But the choice really depends on the rest of your system and your listening preferences, so auditioning them both is really your best option.

If you can't do that, then if you would like a bit more high frequency information (which might be the case if your speakers are also 19 years old), the Cambridge might be preferable.

Good luck.

CD's are today's 8-tracks. As soon as lossless downloads are the norm, which is quickly becoming a reality, there is no reason to buy a CD. They have much more mechanical downside in playback than a lossless file.

The vinyl idea is the way to go for playback quality, and has shown it will be around for the long run, but if you want convenience then CD's are a no go. No better quality than lossless files, and more money for the transport.

My modded Denon 5910ci and Linn Unidisc did not sound any better on Redbook CD than my current set up with an AppleTV and various outboard DAC's (currently an MHDT Havana Tube DAC $900), for MUCH less money.

I have not owned either of the units but have had other products by both companies. They both should be good and give years of service. Try to hear both on equipment like yours or ideally try to take one home. Universal players are likely to be good at nothing in particular , especially at the low end. Why would a player that attempts to do several things be better than one that has one function. Computerizing your music is not likely to make it sound better without spending a lot of time and money. CDs, imperfect as they may be, are likely to be around for a long time.

Nope you're both wrong...it's plainly obvious that the only way to future proof yourself is to invest in a turntable and VINYL :-)
Either way you get zero points for not answering the guys question...!

Juan given that you're "not audio crazy but i like good sound within my budget"
At that sort of price point, assuming you intend to purchase new, I would suggest that you buy the one which you can get either cheapest or sounds best to you, if you have the option to audition both in the same system, as they're both fairly well regarded at their level.

buy a squeezebox or appleTV and a good out board DAC such as a Benchmark or PS Audio, then download your music and enjoy. play your CD collection once onto the computer, use your favorite lossless file type to store them, then never worry about it every again!!

No one is seriously thinking that stand alone CD players are the future for disc stored music. Start looking at Universals. They cost less than even a NAD.