High resolution digital is dead. The best DAC's killed it.

The  Sigma Delta architecture has to my ears a sound that gives digital a bad reputation. I own a Wadia 15 which uses the fabulous Burr Brown PCM63 and considering what I paid for this second hand I am surprised more folks don't snap them up.
The TDA1543 was mentioned, also good is the IMO better TDA1541, PCM 1702 and some implementations of the 1704. Also UA D20400

I have an Oppo 103 and after living with its screeching disregard for human dignity, obtained a better sounding DAC to send my music to, a Bryston BDA-1. Yes it was better, quite good even, but still not right. Then came the Wadia and WOW, music music music, but, and I'm not concerned, only does redbook. A game changer. Wadia 25 outstanding, uses 4x1702 with slightly different sound and run don't walk if you find a Wadia 9, uses 8xPCM63.

There are many DACs  using the above mentioned chips that are for sale used. Lots of guys that owned these DACs, not realising what they had, traded them in on the latest craze of Sigma Delta super hires units.
http://vasiltech.narod.ru/CD-Player-DAC-Transport.htm
Check out the link for very many players or DAC's that use the above. I modded an inexpensive Marantz CD40 that uses the TDA1541 and with Lukasz Fikus' help of Lampizator fame came straight off the DAC  chip's pins to the grids of a tube completely bypassing their cheap inferior output stage. Later cut the traces to render it NOS. Non oversampling. This dirt cheap little thing sounded amazing. Try your hand at it, has lots of space to work and you can find them for practically nothing. You may still find instructions on his site.
 
Most of the Philips units shared the same board as Marantz so must be thousands of them floating around. Look out for a CD85 or CD95 which uses TDA1541s1 single crown and excellent transport. Great player as is and modified will beat most stuff.

not realising what they had, traded them in on the latest craze of Sigma Delta super hires units.

They had to get a Delta Sigma based dac because they were sucked into doing DSD download playback, and this was their down fall.
As Delta Sigma does not get the best out of PCM redbook, it’s a "facsimile" only, and it’s not "bit perfect" .
That’s why many now with big CD collections are reverting back to used R2R Multibit dacs like the PCM1704’s ect like you did, and if not buying used, getting the new discrete R2R Multibit ones, which the numbers of, are growing at a rapid rate.

Cheers George

Erik,
Your point is well taken.
I've grabbed some of my really old CDs and with my modern disk transport and DAC, the sound quality I enjoy is often times really excellent!
I would not necessarily associate the format of a digital source (i.e. 44.1/16, 192/24, DSD, etc.) with the ultimate sound quality.  I have a few SACDs where I find the "regular CD" sounds better.  I suspect it's in the mastering.

I am a big big fan of BB DAC's, having really loved the Theta Casanova I sold too soon.

At high rez it was a really glorious thing.

I'd still rather have a modern DAC, especially for redbook.

Best,
E

Whoa...Erik and George in agreement? People, sniff deeply that rarified air.