Best CD Player HDCD under $1000US

Yes, how about the Oppo BD 83 SE. Amazing value, and it does so much more than HDCD!

I had a NAD C542. The redbook play back was OK. However, the HDCD playback was almost holographic. I had a pricey Arcam DV-137 with HDCD playback and the NAD sounded far better (HDCD only though).

Definitely the Oppo (but note, it's the BDP-83 SE). An absolutely outstanding machine.

Keep in mind that HDCD filter used on many players does not produce the full potential of redbook CD. On such players HDCD will sound much superior to redbook CD in comparison. Ideally the player could use different digital filters for HDCD encoded CD and standard redbook CD to maximize the sound playback for both formats, but very few players do.

^^^ Did the Krell KAV300CD? It was an excellent sounding CD player that could decode HDCD. The player sounded better than most players on normal CD and really great on HDCDs. It cost about 4K even as KAV was Krell's budget line, so not a cheap player for its time. I don't see to many up for sale now. Maybe most are dead now, or repaired, like mine?

I took it to a repair guy that had never even heard of Krell and he fix the laser. He was very impressed with the filter having 1,500 resistors-he said he had never seen anythink like it!!!