Can you suggest a warm high-end CD player?

If you are looking for the antithesis of "digital" in a digital product, look at the Audionote (uk) line of DACs to mate with a good transport. They make the smoothest, warm and natural sounding DACs that do NOT sound slow and wooley. Accuphase makes some players that also sounded warm and natural (i.e., not digital).

I agree that the Audio Aero is quite natural and beautiful sounding, but I don't think it is "warm" (elevated mid-bass), in fact, it can be a touch lean there. Still, it sounds so good it is worth auditioning. The "cheap" Esoteric, is pretty warm and nice sounding (I like it better than the $15,000 model). I personally did not like the EMM gear (touch bright and cold sounding), and I don't think it is for someone looking for a warm sound.

My "15,000" player is the Naim CDS-3/555PS (outboard power supply) combination. It is reasonably grain free and has less of the artificial hard leading edge to transients, that I associate with digital, than other Naim models, but it is not in the warm, rounded, and "tubey" camp. Worth auditioning, but my guess is that it is not for you.

If possible, audition the Ayre CD player. It should meet your criteria, and it's relatively "inexpensive" as well.

I third the Audio Aero Capitole MK II. Or, for considerably less money, their earlier Capitole called simply the 24/192 is phenonomal for about half the cost. You should be able to pick one up for about $2600-$2800 used.

ayre's new c-5 is a great bang for the buck, hard to beat at any price

APL Denon 3910 - tube output; warm, accurate, great soundstaging - for less than $5K.