Tube CD Players other than Jolida

The Njoe Tjoeb 4000 that Upscale Audio sells would be an option in your price range. I have the previous version, the Tjoeb 99, and it's very nice. It uses two tubes from the 6DJ8/6922/7308 family so there are lots of options for swapping tubes at a wide range of prices.

Audio Aero Prima.

Do a search in the discussion forum hereabouts. Almost never a complaint.

I second the Audio Aero Prima - IMO the best CDP I heard so far below 3-4K. Excellent resolution, very realistic portrayal of instruments. Piano is reproduced with natural decays and resonances. My only complaint about the Prima is that the bass could be just a tad tighter (which is true for many tube players.

As far as tube CDP go, I also had a Unison Unico, which allows you to change tubes, but I would avoid that one unless you like singers to have a permanent cold.

The Cary 308t often shows up in classifieds in the $1250 range.

If you can stretch your budget to $1,400, the Doge 6 CD player at Pacific Valve is really excellent for the money. I understand that the CDP is manufactured in the same Chinese manufacturing faciity that produces the Jolida electronics. The Doge 6 CDP uses six tubes in its output stage - four 12AX7s and a pair of 12AT7s in a shunt-regulated push-pull circuit.

I am running the Doge 6 in my SET system and have found the sound quality to be excellent - significantly better than you would ever expect in this price range. The MHZS CD players mentioned above are also imported by Pacific Valve. They are more affordable than the Doge 6 and are also said to be a step down in quality of sound (but excellent in their own right).