Wadia or Arc CD player?

Elberoth2, That is good advice. I might add any ARC CD players prior to the CD3 cannot be repaired with laser assembly and transport issues since those parts have been discontinued.

I enjoy my ARC CD3MKII very much. I have had it since early 2007. Without going into all the technical listening jargon- it is very musical. It creates a large, open sound stage and finally, with some recent CDs, it even creates a sound stage beyond my speakers just as many records do. It is rock solid reliable and has played every disc I have put in without fail. I use MIT cables. I attached an MIT power cable to this CD player which made an improvement worth keeping. (I wish it hadn't, but it was significant enough to spend the $$$$.) That is the only tweek I have done to this player.

I do not know about CD1, but CD2 can be repaired, no problem. The CDM-12.4 mechanism that is used in CD2 is still available. No genuine Philips parts available though, only generic pickups made in China.

I'll take a dissenting view, based upon the ARC Ref 8. I thought the build quality was poor, particularly the transport. I also thought the presentation was smeared and colored.

The Wadia is not for everyone. It is very clean and precise. In some systems, it can sound dry. It needs very good supporting components and cables, along with a preamp. I think you need to listen to some of these and expand your choices.

Rtn1 - If you open any current Wadia player, and compare the flimsy, all plastic DVD-Rom drive Wadia uses to the cast aluminum Philips CD-Pro2 drive that can be found in all ARC players from CD-3 onwards, you would change your mind.

I agree that the aesthetixc side of ARC line is lacking in general (we somehow developed a liking for it over the years - talk about acquired taste) but the products are extreemly solid.