I have the McIntosh MCD12000. Love it. Check w/Reference Analog, they have a slightly used one for under 9k. It has a built in DAC as well.
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Several Oppo successors have emerged over the last couple of years, but despite sounding promising on paper, they haven’t had much of a profile in the stereo-audiophile press. They’re more often reviewed in home-theater magazines. Most promising is Magnetar’s UDP800 universal player, which received a rave review in the current (June-July 2024) issue of Sound & Vision. It boasts an Oppo-like interface & form factor, excellent build quality, similar CD/DVD/BD/SACD/whatever disc compatibility, & 2024-class format support (including 4K UHD video). Downside is no phone app & a lack of multi-channel analog outputs. But, as you suggest, the latter may not be a dealbreaker in this age of HDMI & reasonably priced external DACs. And the pricing is pretty reasonable, similar to that of the higher-end Oppo models back in the day. When one of my Oppos finally dies, this may be the first replacement option I consider. |
I highly recommend a used Cary CD 306 SACD player (professional version) if you can find a used one which is rare today. This is an older and statement flagship CD/SACD player from Cary Audio circa 2008 thru 2015/2016. It did retail for $8k when it was first released in 2007/2008 and was in the same price range as other high end units from Esotetic, EMM Labs, DCS from the same era. This is a professional version or the upgraded version of the highly acclaimed CD 306 SACD player back then. Sonically it’s a highly musical sounding player with its natural organic analog like sound. I AB compared this player to a new current model Marantz Reference SA-10 CD/SACD player (current retail $7500 new) and this Cary is better sounding in all areas than the SA-10. No contest. Again this unit runs very warm cause it is a class A design circuitry - its output stage runs in class A, not some cheap op amps. Make sure that you leave a lot of space around. Cary Audio is still supporting this model, so if you need a new laser assembly for the disc drive you can send it in to Cary for a new laser assembly or for any issues you may have. I sent mine in to Cary last year to get a new laser. |
good point about repairs, I bought a belt kit and this being available helped me decide Complete xa5400es Laser Assembly Knowing you could buy another used one if it breaks, still hard to beat it's sound, and a few around $1k each add up to far less than your budget. I bought a spare remote control when 1 popped up with low price. |
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