Richard Hardesty's issue #9 of the Audio Perfectionist Journal has a really, really good article about this very subject(some of it might be surprising)
They're some really good low priced players on the market and some of the really expensive ones are more smoke and mirrors than an improvement. It is no doubt that some players are built to much higher standards even though they might not sound better. The type of DAC they use, the power supply and shielding, etc come into play.
At this point in the game, I would look for a SACD player that is good with cd's. Most newer CD's will be hybrids w/SACD layers. SACD sounds better with most recordings even own cheaper machines. The Sony 9000ES is an exellent example used(including a decent job on CD and plays superb DVD)and is a really good SACD player.
I have no experience with DVD Audio so I won't comment on that subject.
I use a Meridian 508-24 because IMO, it has less of a "Digital" sound and doesn't give up anything in resolution. It only weighs about 13# but it is extremely well designed. I have a excellent sounding NAD 1- bit player that, in comparison to the Meridian, misses a few small details but doesn't add crap to the sound. If you hadn't heard the Meridian, it would be satisfactory. The difference in price is $3995 for the Meridian and $599 for the NAD!
The point being, as some others pointed out, it's in what you perceive as significant for sound quality. Go listen and decide for yourself. Not everybody cares about the last nth degree of resolution. In the CD world , sometimes its just better to have a smooth, non-fatiguing player.
With all that said, the dividing line has become cloudy between midfi and hifi players(based on price). Most all are decent now and differences are in construction and ultimate resolution with the biggest difference being brand name recognition. The limiting factor now, IMO, is the CD itself and has been for sometime. Of course certain CD's are better produced than others and when you run across one, it can be a real treat!
They're some really good low priced players on the market and some of the really expensive ones are more smoke and mirrors than an improvement. It is no doubt that some players are built to much higher standards even though they might not sound better. The type of DAC they use, the power supply and shielding, etc come into play.
At this point in the game, I would look for a SACD player that is good with cd's. Most newer CD's will be hybrids w/SACD layers. SACD sounds better with most recordings even own cheaper machines. The Sony 9000ES is an exellent example used(including a decent job on CD and plays superb DVD)and is a really good SACD player.
I have no experience with DVD Audio so I won't comment on that subject.
I use a Meridian 508-24 because IMO, it has less of a "Digital" sound and doesn't give up anything in resolution. It only weighs about 13# but it is extremely well designed. I have a excellent sounding NAD 1- bit player that, in comparison to the Meridian, misses a few small details but doesn't add crap to the sound. If you hadn't heard the Meridian, it would be satisfactory. The difference in price is $3995 for the Meridian and $599 for the NAD!
The point being, as some others pointed out, it's in what you perceive as significant for sound quality. Go listen and decide for yourself. Not everybody cares about the last nth degree of resolution. In the CD world , sometimes its just better to have a smooth, non-fatiguing player.
With all that said, the dividing line has become cloudy between midfi and hifi players(based on price). Most all are decent now and differences are in construction and ultimate resolution with the biggest difference being brand name recognition. The limiting factor now, IMO, is the CD itself and has been for sometime. Of course certain CD's are better produced than others and when you run across one, it can be a real treat!