Best Tube CDP for $2000 Budget

I auditioned the Audio Aero Prima last year when I replaced my CDP. I thought it was beautiful and rich, but kinda laid back. So if your system is fast and bright it might be a great match.

My system is all-tube, so the Audio Aero seemed to be too much of a good thing. I've been happier with the Musical Fidelity A5 CD player I bought. Not fatiguing, and a lot more life in my system.

HTH

Don't overlook the Jolida JD 100. I have several cdps. I have a Level l mod (Underwood) that I've had for a few years and it continues to hang on in my system though I've purchased other quality and more expensive players. I can recommended the modded unit but have never heard a stock one. It's smooth yet has good clarity, midrange, and bass. There's one in the classifieds well under your budget. No knock on Audio Aero but as already mentioned, I've seen plenty of information from owners of the AA Prima Mk2 about transport problems with the unit. Most seem to love it's sonics however.

Raysonic CD 128 hands down nothing else comes close. The Doge 6 as mentioned above is not a bad suggestion, and you can get it cheaper, but I live 5 miles from pacific valve and have tried many of their units, this one is nice, but nowhere near the build quality and parts(although pretty good), and not as versatile DAC convertor in the unit as the raysonic.. The Raysonic has Upsampling optional via button, so your not stuck and can hear HDCD also, which is worth it over the Doge.

The raysonic is Superior to almost all machines in build, it has Balanced XLR which is not on the Doge,
It only takes 4 tubes opposed to having to get 6 like the doge, also the 4 tubes are all accessable without opening up the unit... user ergonomics far better

The Raysonic is a Top load vs. drawer, less mechanical parts, making its operation quieter and of course more reliable in the end....

Raysonic, Also has american Dealer Quest for sound which does warranty work, and Canada is the origin of the machine and easy to get customer support on it, the Doge is chinese, and anything thru pacific valve they do not support direct, and offer very short warranty time 90 days I believe, and all stuff has to go back to china. I say this out of personal experience with them.

Also anything from the pacific valve chinese knockoffs are totally unknown brands and suffer badly from this on the used market... Raysonic holds high value.

Take a look at raysonic here, you will be very intrigued to try this machine before you go to look any further. see link
For 6 moons endorsment, and very detailed review, features, with value on this machine.

http://www.raysonicaudio.com/reviews/6moons_audio_reviews_Raysonic_CD128_01.htm

>>The raysonic is Superior to almost all machines in build<<

What are the other machines?

>>The Raysonic is a Top load vs. drawer, less mechanical parts, making its operation quieter and of course more reliable in the end<<

Wadia and Esoteric among others are front loaders. Do you believe the Raysonic is more reliable than those brands?

>>It only takes 4 tubes opposed to having to get 6 like the doge<<

Irrelevant

>>Canada is the origin of the machine<<

Not true. The machine is built in China and you've already been corrected in another thread regarding this.

>>Also anything from the pacific valve chinese knockoffs are totally unknown brands and suffer badly from this on the used market<<

Show us your data on this.

Audiofeil,
First i will appoligize if that post seemed to be far beyond driven.
What I mean by origin is you have local support, thats all and its fact.. Both quest for sound, and in canada where the company is based can be repaired..

The FACTS or data you wish to have on Chinese brands, nobody has heard of Doge, or Lite audio, okay some have and the ones that have know that USED value suffers.. ANd yes I owned SEVERAL of the units which I have sold here, but for less than you will get for name brand. Mainly this statement was about if you end up not liking it, maybe invest in a decent name to get some money back.

These were not statements made to discount others at all, they are facts.. Have you heard of or care to put 1800 dollars into a unit called " Doge " and re-sell for possibly 600 bucks? vs. something that is recognized as the Raysonic which will get back about everything but 500 bucks if you don't like it? It was just a broad stroke statement, which was meant to prove a point.. Kinda like buying a Carver amp for 3000 vs. a Mcintosh amp for 3000, whos gonna win the used value contest?

By the way I was not saying Wadia or any drawers are bad at all, That DRAWER mechanics statement was made as a follow up to stating since if SOMETHING happens in the Doge or Pacific Valve Distributed machines which I have owned, you will be forced to let them deal with sending in and out of China for any support, if a Wadia goes well you have local support.. Their might be another dealer for these brands I am not aware of that can repair in the states, so I will not say I am 100% on that, but I was specifically pointing out the statements made about Pacific valves Doge machine...

This is not a hit at the companies involved, they got some cool products, just the way it works, and with being you save some money with them great, However I was pointing out at the 2000 price range you can do a little better than if you look at the Raysonic and its features, and Support...