Looking for a CD player

+1 re the Denon DCD-1600NE.
My first SACD/CD player was a Marantz SA8004.  I replaced it with a Denon DCD-A100, which I bought gently used.  That was a big step up, but eventually I began to be tempted by the DCD-1600NE and the idea of buying it new so I could take it to a service center about an hour away, if I needed to.  Surprisingly, that was another step up.
As the previous poster said, the improvement in redbook CD's is especially notable.

^^^^
 I second the Denon.

Hello,
All of this looks good. If you have a ok DAC you can sell it and buy the R2R Denifrips Arries.II. If you have a CD player with digital outs keep the player and spend it all on the DAC. The Denifrips Pontous. Slightly over budget but worth it. It’s all about the DAC. This DAC has twice the resisters and twice the power supply located under the DAC for better separation. Even if you had an older DVD or blueray player you will hear the results. Later you can upgrade your transport to a used Oppo, Cambridge cxc, or a jays. This is your best bet for the most impact and future proofing your system. You can also use the DAC for streaming in the future. I would recommend a BlueSound Node 2i. 
I hope this helps. I don’t know of a resellers for Denifrips. The BlueSound is at https://holmaudio.com/bluesound/

I know they were not expensive but the SONY ES models and Yamaha units have very good sound.  Using an optical cable is a must.

sd40

how does the Denon A100 compare to the 1600NE ?

Happy Listening!