Are there digital front ends with the body...

I thought the AMR CDP had lot of body when I heard it at RMAF. It's on my top list for digital front list.

In my own rig, AMR CD-77 fits the bill (although at $ 8.5k perhaps not what you meant by moderately pricey). Admittedly one third more expensive, there is YBA Le Lecteur CD1 Classic Sigma (or Passion 1000 which is the same player in a different outfit) that recently led me to think it would have been very serious competition for the AMR, had I heard it before, exactly for the reasons you mention (and some more).
I very much agree with what has been said on CD mastering, in particular the lack of dynamics, though: junk in, junk out. I guess that is what you get if you produce for all-day-long sonic drizzle out of small dickey boxes that only digital made possible, muzak instead of music (am I getting old or just a bellyacher?).

I guess that is what you get if you produce for all-day-long sonic drizzle out of small dickey boxes that only digital made possible, muzak instead of music (am I getting old or just a bellyacher?)

No you are right on - sonic drizzle!

I would say the best transport/dacs on the market right now are

1) orpheus zero transport/ orpheus heritage dac
2) Zanden transport/dac

Both of these options represent the best digital solutions money can buy.

i have auditioned both closely, and while the heritage IMHO represents the pinnacle of digital technology available today, the zanden combo was more musical and the most analogue sounding.

Both of these options represent the best digital solutions money can buy.

When did you compare "the best digital solutions money can buy" to EMM Labs Signature combo? Any of the newest dCS gear? Latest Esoteric combos? Ayre? AMR? In your system? Direct A-B?

Regards,
Alex