Best SACD Player in the $2000 Range

The Sony 5400ES is great. Here's my short-take.
It doesn't have the palpability or texture or detail-retrieval of the my EMM CDSD-SE/DCC2-SE, and the bass is a bit warmish and smoothed-over (but very pleasant and well integrated), but it really walks that fine line between too-much-info and glazed-over perfectly, and I just listen and don't feel that I'm missing anything important, or that I'm being punched around by some hyped-up part of the sound spectrum. Percussion is just right, with nice boundaries but fine decay and just the right degree of softening that keeps it from digital abuse. I can really just listen deep into its sound and want to keep listening. It is a significantly more refined and enjoyable sound than my former low-priced players from the past: Meridian 508.24 (ill-defined bass), Sony CD777ES (boring with grainy vocals), CAL Icon II (little pace, but an old-time favorite as I remember it).

I recently acquired the Sony XA5400.
It turned my system upside down, gave me a completely new sound I didn't realize was possible. The soundstage is phenomenal, it's like attending a live concert in an intimate acoustic setting. It stretches the octave range up and down and makes the middle come alive with incredible vibrancy.
I am listening to all my CDs anew and as if I hear the tracks for the first time, they sound that different. I am hearing instruments that were previously masked, little details like the bench groaning as Oscar Peterson was slightly shifting his weight during a live recording. At times I am holding my breath, waiting for what comes out next.
This is the single best invetment I have ever made, like I got a completely new system.
The funniset part is that I am using Snell K7 monitors. They are tiny bookshelf monitors, but very precise and neutral. I have a matched Snell Basis 150 hidden in a corner. When my friends hear the system they think all this grand soundstaging is coming out of these tiny cans only.
I have a 24 bit recording of Copland's Third Symphony, and when the big drums kick in people are almost falling out of their chairs. The realism is such that it is almost frightening.
Thanks to Sony for introducing this amazing sleeper product. If there are better sources out there I hope they are as affordable as this unit. Otherwise I urge everyone to have a good listen.
My former unit was a Sony S9000ES. No slouch, but compared to the 5400 it's like an old relic from college.
My other gear is Cary, Modwright and Simaudio.

I recently acquired this CD player, previously owned Jolida JD 100, as far as CD playback is concerned its really an improvedment, but when I compared same CD and SACD using either Hybrid SACD or CD and SACD, CD sounds way better than SACD, here are some of the SACD/CDs I tried

O Brother Where are THOU ? (differet CD and SACD)
The look of Love (Hybrid)
Sacred Love (Hybrid)

CD playpack is louder and clear with more depth as opposed to SACD

Just wondering whether anyone else has the same experience or is it just me and my CD player (It has just 30-40 hours of playtime) on it.

The Yamaha CD S 1000 is quite good on its own. Can be taken to greater heights with VSE mods. Better build quality than the Sony, two channel only.

Kjl, to be able to give you advise on a player you need to specify is you are looking for a 2 channel SACD player, or if you have a multi channel system. Then, if you are looking for multi channel you need to specify is you are looking for an analog setup, or if you are planning to do MCH digital SACD over HDMI.

My personal experience is that a good MCH system takes things to a new level, while going from good 2 channel CD to 2 channel SACD is an incremental improvement. That's just me though.

If you are into classical, there is enough content out there on multi channel SACD to justify the investment in a good multi channel SACD player and system, eventhoug the format is dead (as are most classical composers fortunately).

Finally, based on my experience comparing the exact same classical high resolution recordings on the 2L label on BR audio and SACD respectively, I prefer the SACD version.