Budget single disc player-under $600

What sounds good is a matter of personal preference and past experience. I'm having qualms about the Music Hall. Just read that the Phillips transport in a Shanling CDP (MH and Shanling
are cousins) is dreadfully slow, and there is talk of upgrading, as if it's not quite right out of the box.

While have I not listened to the specific Cambridge Audio models you have listed, I did own the original 640 and the version 2 and for the money they were excellent single disc players. In fact I preferred them to the comparable NAD models at that time with the exception that I have a fairly large collection of HDCDs and certain NAD models provided HDCD decoding. But head to head on a regular CD I liked the Cambridge Audio.

I had the Cambridge 540 and it was sonically lean.

The Esound CD-E5 is better than the Jolida. I had a Jolida with upgraded tubes. I am considering selling mine not because I don't love it, but I am going the HTPC route and need a dac. Not sure what would better or equal the Esound for the money.

Jeff - Seems not to be in the list. Seems not to be in the price range. F