New or Old CD Player?

@twoleftears while I have no first hand experience with the TEAC / Esoteric transports, their reputation proceeds them.   More than "very good", many have labeled them class leading.  However, I will defer to @jafant and if he knows they're in-field performance has shown them less than exceptional, I believe him.

Incidentally, the Philips transports acted just about perfect in my experience.  I **may** have encountered one defective unit in a Consonance CD120 Balanced, but I apologize, as that recollection could be incorrect.  Otherwise, they have performed without issue for me.

Now...speaking of the Consonance CD120 Balanced, I no longer have any and didn't dig deep enough for pictures, so I cannot speak with absolute confidence in comparing the internal layout.  But this Hegel Mohican gives me a strange sense of deja vu.  Outside of the digital out connector and an extra line of printing where they included the Hegel name, the rear of the two machines look identical.

I wanted to simplify and streamline what I felt seemed like an overly broad and confusing lineup.  So along with the far stronger interest in non-oversampling DAC topology at that time, once Consonance switched the CD120 Balanced from the Philips to the Sony assembly, I then only featured the CD120 Linear.  I set the North American retail price at $995 for each, and felt both sounded better (though quite different from one another) than anything at that price point.

Though no ones likely interested, I keep a Consonance Reference 2.0 SACD player for myself.  I rescued a pile of 21 of them, and got at least 16 of the second generation units back on their feet.  I love the tube output and analog volume control that provide excellent sound without needing to use a preamplifier even if I sometimes do.  Its sonics get nosed out by the Reference 2.2 MKII CD player, though the SACD capability is a trump card for me.  And that Sony SACD part has so far (knock on wood) held up.  When this player dies, it owes me nothing 

@imgoodwithtools CONGRATULATIONS on the ARC player!  I listened to one, and it certainly sounded like a serious contender.

Hope you love it, and it provides you with the joy we all hope for 

@jafant ....when are you finally going to commit to a source and amp for your Thiels?  That way we will know you’re speaking from personal experience rather than simply being well read.  Kudos to your research and knowledge, but some skin in the game would be refreshing.  Best....

I do have an opinion on the Esoteric K-3X, since I did own one for awhile. My overall impression of its sound is very detailed and musical, but can be a bit clinical. The sound can be tailored with variable sample rates and digital filters. The disc drive was in No way like a cheap computer disc drive. It's function was solid and inspired confidence. When used as a drive, the analytical sound transferred to the DAC. When used as a DAC, and fed by my reference PS Audio DirectStream transport, the sound was fuller and more analog, very much like my reference Berkeley Alpha Reference 2 DAC. So, as a DAC, I found the Esoteric more musical than what it was used as a CD player or a transport. SACD reproduction was stellar. Very, very close to my reference T+A PDP 3000 HV.

When looking for a one-box CD player, I saw a used Esoteric K-3X at The Music Room, an on-line audio dealer. I think they listed it at $7500?? At this price, Is consider the K-3X a bargain.