Which is the best CD-Player up to $ 10k ?

...but at $10k, I would expect at least some kind of 30-day trials be granted.

Much better yet, an in-home demo without cost (or at nominal cost, applicable to purchase) or obligation. Would you buy a car sight unseen and without a test drive?

When I asked Jonathan for just such a thing he indicated that he didn't need to offer an in-home trial as people were buying the unit sight unseen. When I pressed as to when, if ever, he would provide in-home trials, he was noncommittal although he indicated that if he did it would be after the price of the player was jacked up to 15K. Given the lack of an established resale market for the player, the history of changing product lines at his company and the lack of an in-home trial, I took the player off my list.

What about the Lector?

bar81,

I was skeptical that a cd player could sound much better than the emm labs but this the playback design is amazing cd/sacd/server unit.

Some things cannot be home tested. A ferrari can be tested at the dealer only. Hey you can come to Los Angeles and hear it at my house and I am just a lowly customer and audiophile. I am sure Jonathan would let you hear it before you buy it just that he can't loan it to you. There are many people who know own playback that would be happy to let you hear it.

I cannot imagine anyone who is looking for a cd player that would not be mesmerized by this cd player. Only someone with a tin ear or someone who only listens to vinyl and is biased against any other form of music playback in my opinion would not be impressed by this player. I have not heard the dcs puccini but that is $20k for the stack. There are some players that I have not heard but I have heard many pricey ones and this is remarkable and heck mine has only 50 hours on it so it will get even better.