Your experience/thought on best sounding SACD/CD Player for 1,500 or less

jusam

I would be interested in learning which players currently owned.
There has never been a better time to invest in a disc-spinner.

Take stock in Ayre, Esoteric, Oppo, Pioneer (Elite), Sony (ES) to name a few starters.  I look forward in reading more about your musical tastes and system.

Happy Listening!

The answer in that price range used to be Oppo.  I also have a Pioneer Elite Universal player that cost $1K but it is no longer available in the States.  In that price range I would look at Marantz and Yamaha 

Earlier this year, I posted a query similar to yours re: a disc player in the same price range.  (Search under my user name to see it.)  After reading the helpful replies of other forum members, I ended up purchasing (without audition) a Denon DCD-1600NE.  The other finalist was the Yamaha model of approximately the same price.

I wasn't initially thrilled with the Denon.  But with a long break-in, and with a decent pair of interconnects and an aftermarket power cord, the sound quality is now pretty good.  In my system (McIntosh MC402, Sonus Faber Olympica III), I use it for SACDs and better-recorded CDs.  The Denon does not do as well with older/less well-recorded discs, for which I use an older CD player with 6H30 tubes.  

IMO, I think you will have to look hard to beat the value of the Oppo 105D. They can be had for around $1,000. Use the other $500 to buy some more discs. Another good choice would be a Sony 5400ES. You can find them for somewhere around $1,000.

Sorry.  Sold my $500 and bought a $2500.