The "cheap" ticket to the top tier is with decks like Sony SCD-1/777ES, top Marantz, top Denon, etc., modded by credible builders like APL, Audiomod, ModWright, Reference Audio Mods & VSEI. $1500-$4000 plus the cost of the mule player does it.
The question is, what are the qualities that distinguish the top 5% of players, are these qualities important to you, and are your downstream components at a similar level of refinement? Cheaper players have improved greatly, but don't have the last word in palpable realism, top-to-bottom extension, dynamics, color, contrast, weight & body. I know I'm there with my mostly RAM-modified battery powered SCD-1.
The question is, what are the qualities that distinguish the top 5% of players, are these qualities important to you, and are your downstream components at a similar level of refinement? Cheaper players have improved greatly, but don't have the last word in palpable realism, top-to-bottom extension, dynamics, color, contrast, weight & body. I know I'm there with my mostly RAM-modified battery powered SCD-1.