Wich high end CD palyer?

i'm still trying to figure out the logic behind spending $40,000 for a system to reproduce the sound of a $200 guitar through a $400 amp with a $100 microphone and some cheap cords, into a $1000 console and onto an $8 dat tape that is recorded on a $300 player (total cost of around $2100) "as it was heard in the studio". why on earth should it take astronomical amounts of money to "hear the instruments as if they were in the room", when you could probably have the musicians flown to the room you are in to play for about 1/100th the cost?

At that price you may want to look at separate transports and digital converters (DAC).

On Stvncar's separate issue.... it is also the case of record companies and/or music performers building a perfect multi-million dollar, multi-track recording studio; only to have the young buyer listen to the the music highly compressed on an iPod with some cheap earphones.

stick with meridian

Oh, this is too much fun.

I knew a guy once, who also thought he would save money and just fly musicians to his room. But problems came up:

* The London Symphony Orchestra kept objecting to the brass section having no room to play but in the garage, not to mention the bassoonist having to setup on the kitchen counter tops

* Most major religions were objecting to his trying to fly Jimi in

* His wife threatened to divorce him if he flew Diana Krall in one more time

* He had a tendncy to listen in the nude

* A favorite blues musician loved to eat beans... lots of beans

* Everytime he wanted to hear 'Start Me Up' by the Stones it cost him a cool million, and he was starting to wonder if he was really saving money

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OK, To answer the thread question: Almost every major manufacturer has a player these days in your price range - most of them these days are quite good, but they are all quite different from each other.

Burmester (German)
MBL (German)
Audio Aero (French)
Meitner (Canadian, but I know there is a Spanish importer)
Audio Note U.K.
Ensemble (Swiss)

There are a number of Japanese players, not sure you get these:

Reimyo
Esoteric

I am sure I am forgetting many...

Enjoy your search!
Mike.

With that budget I'd be sorely tempted to blow it all on the Reimyo CDP-777 (on reputation only as I've never heard it). But not until I'd auditioned the Accustic Arts CD player first for about half as much. It's one smooth operator and German to boot so it definitely meets your Euro Qualification.