Better cd SQ

 @corelli +1

@nic919 not every DAC is going to sound the same and you may be left wanting by simply just taking someone else's random "I own and like". Define for yourself what sound characteristics are important to you and then research off of that to find DACs with that general profile.

+1 @facten @corelli

@nic919 If you’re comfortable with trying a couple of very different dacs on credit with fair return policies, then your best bet is to sample them with a well made digital coax cable. At least to experiment and find where improvements occur relative to your setup. It’s always a bit of a gamble, but you don’t know what will work until you try it. Logic has it that transports these days will -in general- render better results, but many CD players also do a very decent job of clocking and signal isolation for their digital output stages.

Regardless, so much of this is about learning to associate these characteristics described by others with what you are already hearing in your own system - hence trial and error.

Best of luck and enjoy the music 🙏🏼👍🏼

Someone mentioned the Denon DCD-A110. 

while a stunning player, in no universe can it be found for anything close to $2,000. 

 That Denon is $2499 including shipping at Accessories4less ... it is a factory refurbished

i too am a vinyl guy. My listening priorities are Vinyl, Qobuz streaming, then CD’s. I have the Marantz CD6007. It is the weakest link in my system, but don’t care (CD’s being by far my lowest priority).
The Marantz does sound SIGNIFICANTLY better with an external DAC. I have a Chord Qutest. I chose it over the Denafrips as space in my rack is at a premium, but either would be solid choices. 

Then I recommend you get a streamer. I went with the Aurender N150, but there are several great choices out there. Good luck.