Please recommend CD player w/volume under $5500

I'm on the keep the preamp wagon... You will lose something without it, mainly the full body sound.. a lot of the hiend cd players are a little lite on the bass as well, and with no pre it could be very anemic, and you have a tube amp I believe so you will have possibility of very soft bass.

any wadia: new or used, good luck...

I always prefer a good tubed preamp in the system.

On the other side of the coin, there are plenty of threads in which folks describe no audible differences when comparing certain CDP's direct to amp/s vs. going the traditional preamp route.

I would suggest doing a search on the most popular CDP's that have volume control....namely, Resolution Audio Opus 21 (GNSC modification recommended), Audio Aero Capitole, ML 390s, and others. All can be had for under $5k used, or in the case of the GNSC RA Opus 21, 5K new. Also, there is the EMM Labs DAC, which I understand has a very good analog volume control, but that may be too much of a stretch $ wise.

The thing is, it may make some sense to go without a preamp -at least initially- as it will allow for more $$$$ to go to a very high quality CDP. And, some argue you won't lose a thing.

I run a Granite tube CDP direct to a Spectron Musician III amp to Von Schweikert VR5-HSEs and I just sold a Supratek Syrah tube pre. I tested the system with and without the pre for a good while. I decided to sell the pre because I preferred the simpler system, could not detect a significant improvement with the Supratek (which BTW has a wonderful sound) and soon will have a toddler who no doubt would have been even more fascinated than I was with the tiny illuminated city created by the Supratek.

Anyway, I used to own a Meridian 508.24 and compared it extensively to the Granite. Absent the tube stage of the Granite, I don't think I could go without a tube pre.

Good luck with your decision.
David