what makes a good CD player


Without getting too much into "flavors" of sound, though admitedly its hard not to talk of it when speaking of CD players even though I don't live in a place where I can hear any examples of hi-end audio so Im not even sure what "flavor" really means, what is the current thinking on what makes a really good cd player these days. Not really wanting people to start shooting off names of esoteric $10,000 units. Im not really looking for name brands at all, but throw them in their if you think it will help. I just want to know what to look for in narrowing down a really good unit. Please explain why if you can, for instance:

What type of drive (if thats the correct terminology) mechanism is best?

What kind of power supply is best?

What output type is best?

Solid state or Tube or ?

What kind of digital format is best?

Feel free to add any info you think would be good to mention. Feel free to give a preference for why one design is than another.
last_lemming
As 'knownothing' indicated, the ears rule, no matter what the tech or mechanical means are. As I have posted before, be bold. Try the Sony 595 for $60 at SonyStyle to see if it will satisfy you 'ears'. Many have said it does.
I see what you all are getting at, and I know its what sounds good to my ears. The problem is my ears arnt near any hifi stores and the nearest one is 2 hours away. So I need to be able to research without hearing, because if I don't like what I hear when I ultimately buy a piece of equipment Im going to have to send it back. I'll do that once or twice, but I can't just do it endless amounts of times. So I was hoping for a way to narrow down my search before my ears get to listening.
Perhaps a better approach is to ask folks on here about particular sound signatures you value. E.g. Must carry tune, depth of soundstage is critical to me, lushious midrange, etc. People can provide you with examples within a particular price range they feel would meet your interest/tastes