best CD player or DAC under $1000

My latest choice would be the Jas Musik tube CD player. The unit uses a single 12AX7 and is one of the best sounding CD players I've heard in this price range.

Yeap, Bob You are on to something since I also share your very positive opinion about Jas Musik cdp. It is indeed nice, sweat sounding and reasonably musical cdp. It is also a pretty good value for what it is - one of those cdp you must audition before you buy anything in that price range.

For several months, I have been using the Lavry DA10 with a few different player/transports and digital cables. Based on a friend's and my own experience it is almost immune to the changes in external equipment. That is, the difference in transports and cables is very, very minor, and most tweaks have little or no audible effect. Perhaps a really expensive transport would be different. I can't comment on many other DACs at the same price, although I have heard a few. I owned a well thought of DAC with tube analog output prior to hearing my friend's Lavry in my system.

Nevertheless, for about $1k I am delighted. Be warned that it definitely has the look and feel of Pro, rather than audiophile, gear. My unit has no RCA output jacks, so we had to do some balanced to RCA connectors. The volume adjustment device is smaller than I would like (I have ham hands), but allows for precise control of output voltage. If it had a remote control it'd be damn near perfect, but I rarely change the level from "46" which is said to represent the 2.0 volt standard CD output. I change volume with my preamp. (Yes, I did try direct drive, more than once, but always came back to using the preamp - but that's another story).

For several months, I have been using the Lavry DA10 with a few different player/transports and digital cables. Based on a friend's and my own experience it is almost immune to the changes in external equipment. That is, the difference in transports and cables is very, very minor, and most tweaks have little or no audible effect. Perhaps a really expensive transport would be different. I can't comment on many other DACs at the same price, although I have heard a few. I owned a well thought of DAC with tube analog output prior to hearing my friend's Lavry in my system.

Nevertheless, for about $1k I am delighted. Be warned that it definitely has the look and feel of Pro, rather than audiophile, gear. My unit has no RCA output jacks, so we had to do some balanced to RCA connectors. The volume adjustment device is smaller than I would like (I have ham hands), but allows for precise control of output voltage. If it had a remote control it'd be damn near perfect, but I rarely change the level from "46" which is said to represent the 2.0 volt standard CD output. I change volume with my preamp. (Yes, I did try direct drive, more than once, but always came back to using the preamp - but that's another story).