Upgrade my CD player or futile effort?

Great news. Please post any further updates as you get used to the new piece!

Good advice all around. To my ears, being formerly a violinist in a well-regarded orchestra and currently a research scientist, I suggest that the best western classical music available now is contained on high resolution CD disk. Much better than either the finest vinyl available and certainly better than any streamed source. I own an Esoteric K-01XD SACD player and have owned other kit from DCS and MSB Tech. To each their own!

I prefer my Ares II with the Cambridge CXC transport...Cambridge sells refurb V2 units with warranty and free returns for about $350, not always, but usually available...the V1 and V2 are identical except for appearance...

@baylinor,
Congratulations and I’m glad your early listening impressions are so favorable. I do believe that you are in store for further sound quality improvement with additional burn-in time. You have a good quality DAC and it will undoubtedly elevate sonically with a better transport connected to it. But no rush, one step at a time, get use to/ familiar with your new DAC.
Charles

Very recently I have listened to a Denafrips Ares that was newly imported so I will assume it is the Model II.
This was compared to a Linn DAC that had recently received one of the Companies offered upgrade treatments.
The CDT was a Wadia Model from a bygone era.
The Linn was also used with a Streamer Device as well
Both DAC’s were with components that had almost Zero usage time, and the Denafrips presented in the manner that was making it look like it was getting the upper hand in the SQ.

At this same DAC demonstration, I also received a demonstration of a New Imported Phasemation EA 350 Phonostage against a New Design All Valve Phonostage.
The TT was a SP10R with Glanz 12" Arm and a Miyajima Cartridge.

The Denafrips Ares when compared to the Linn DAC stood out for its delivery, especially knowing it was needing a extended use to allow it to really offer the truth of its capabilities.
I do recall saying that in my home a Streamer with the sort of SQ being heard would be quite welcome for a second system to be used by other family members. 

Both Phon’s were in my view able to deliver a much more impressive presentation, when compared to the DAC’s but each Phon’ is close to Five Times the Purchase Value of the Denafrips Ares.
From my own personal preference, I prefer a CDT > DAC that can deliver in a manner that conjures up the thoughts of it sounding Vinyl Like, but I am sure this can mean very different thing to each assessing the experience.

The Denafrips Ares during the Demonstration, in its rawest of usage time did not offer what I refer to as a Vinyl Like delivery,  the Ares and the Linn has the shared traits of a more commonly experienced CD presentation and SQ, the Clarity and Lucidity is quite noticeably present, I did suggest at the time the experience would be a great to return to when each device has had a few hundred hours of usage. 

To keep the events during the demonstration in context, the Denafrips was sold to a attendee of the demonstration a few days after the event and the seller of the Ares purchased a Denafrips Terminator, I will hopefully hear this later in the year.
The All Valve Phonostage was retained by the systems owner and purchased.