Looking for a CD / SACD player. Also, tell me about Esoteric

In this day and age I would always look at a CD player as a DAC with a transport and assess it on the sound quality of the DAC. Then inevitably when you plug in a streamer you will get the sound quality out of it equivalent to playing CDs or SACDs.

Good suggestions and I appreciate the comments.  Not to derail, but if I knew that I could get parts, the Sony 5400 would be my pick.

Esoteric has a new generation of players out. The K-01XD and K-03XD have been upgraded to SE designation. I don’t know anything about how the SE players sound or if the K-05XD and K-07XD players will also be upgraded,

@tomcy6 The K-05XD debuted 3 years later than the 01/03XD, and the 05XD already has the new discrete clock, so no SE-upgrade for the 05XD yet. The 07-series is discontinued.

Esoteric players are superb and have gotten better with every generation. They deliver natural, unforced sound, and are extremely reliable. The are also one of the few companies who TEAC/Esoteric, build their own mechanisms. There are also changes in the analogue circuitry in the SE upgrade.

My only caution regarding Esoteric may no longer be relevant (read on), but here it is:

I bought my multi-format player (the DV-50s) used, and had it shipped to me. It weighs 46 lbs., and the Esoteric shipping carton barely survived the trip. It is made of not-very-sturdy or thick cardboard, and was almost falling apart by the time it reached me (from the U.S.A. east coast to the west). Even worse were the molded inner styrofoam blocks that the player was ensconced in. The foam is of the stiff/brittle variety (not the softer sponge-like stuff), and had broken into pieces inside the carton. In spite of all that, the player survived and functions perfectly.

I said the above may no longer be relevant, as Esoteric may have improved their packaging (I believe such is the case). Great digital players (good enough for me, at any rate)!