Personal CD player evolution

An update:

1988 some basic Phillips CDP
1994 Harman Kardon HK7525
1998 Rega Planet Original
2004 Linn Classik
2004 Linn Genki
2004 Unison Unico CDP
2005 went back to Planet after being disappoinment by the Genki and Unico
2005 Audio Aero Prima MK II (the very best of the above)

The Audio Aero was my last CDP - switched to computer audio ...

2006 Wavelength Brick USB DAC+ Mac Mini
2007 Benchmark DAC1USB + Mac Mini

1) a Denon - can't remember the model #
2) ARC CD-1
3) Wadia 830 with GNSC Ref mods (loved this one but let it go because wanted a transport with digital outs to feed my Tact 2.0s preamp)
4) Cambridge Audio 840c
5) Oracle CD-1000 transport

I fully intended to make the 840c my "last" CDP but the Oracle won my heart over the holidays. It sounds amazing and looks even better. I also started using a Squeezebox about a year ago and highly suspect my upgraditis will continue along that technology path as it evolves.

Mike

Magnavox(?) (implementation of well rated phillips) 1987

NEC 1990 (expensive and well built but sounded brittle)

Optimus 3400 1994

External DAC and tube smoother thing to Optimus 1996.

Sony XA20ES 1998

1) Sony boombox with a CD player (1989)
2) Sony Discman (1993) (this led to a solid move from cassette to CD's)
3) JVC CD player (part of my first "component" system with JVC receiver and PSB Alpha's) (1994)

...then comes University graduation, followed by full-time work and pay, which led to the next stream...

4) Marantz CC-3000 5-disc changer (2000)
5) Bel Canto DAC1 added (2002) (still using Marantz changer)
6) Meridian 506.24 (2004)
7) Ayre CX-7e (2008)

...and that should be it for quite a while now...I don't change components very often relative to most on these boards, but when I do, it's generally for clear improvements. The smallest improvement was Marantz/Bel Canto to Meridian - that was more of a sideways step compared to the rest, which were all easily audible changes. But the Bel Canto to Meridian change was caused by necessity - had to move overseas and didn't wanna bring the stereo equipment with me due to transport issues.

Marantz CD-63 Special Edition
Linn Unidisk SC
Linn Unidisk 1.1
Esoteric DV-50