CD Player Recommendations…

Budget is up to $1,000.  Thanks for the suggestions. On the Cambridge 851, I’ve read that it’s a bit harsh?? Perhaps the 840? Also, anyone using an A308 integrated with the matching A308CR CD player? Thanks George for the link.

"...On the Cambridge 851, I’ve read that it’s a bit harsh?? Perhaps the 840?..."

I've never heard any Cambridge player that was harsh. I run an 840 on my main system and it sounds great. 

Hi Russ69,
Harsh may have been the wrong word. Reviews indicate more full and punchy vs the 840’s more refined, smooth and detailed presentation. The 840 may be a nice match to complement the 308. 

The 851C is superior to.the 840C in everyway imaginable. Had the 840C for many years, upgraded to the 851C and have this player for the last 8 years. The 840C is a good player, but be careful as some of the older ones had some cheap (bad) capacitors which WILL cause player failure. Mine included. Cost about $100 to be repaired and a months down time for repair and shipping both ways.

CD players with chips from Texas Instruments, Burr Brown, Wolfson, and in-house are some of the best.

Each CD player will have different sonic benefits. Detail retrieval, bass accuracy, midrange transparency, and treble resolution can translate differently on any number of CD players. Along with this, transient response is important. If your CD player sounds "slower" on certain songs and "very fast" on others, it's doing something right.

Most DACs would gloss over timing irregularities - unless they were high-end.

My suggestion would be going for a CD player that  was designed with the intent of reproducing the original sound. A component like this will challenge the rest of your set up. You will know if it's time for an upgrade after that.