Best older universal for CD playback??

A Sony 9000ES may work for you. They tend to sell for about $400. Maybe start with that, and if you want to upgrade at some point, have it modded.

Might be able to shed light on experiences with two mentioned here. I have owned the Sony 9000ES, Proceed PMDT and Esoteric DV-50S. Actually, still have the DV-50S. The Sony is a nice player (older) , but; with ample capability. Sound was OK...perhaps a bit brittle/sharp in the high frequency. The PMDT provided good detail and much warmer/smooth sounding then the other two. The DV-50S was superior in every level. Good micro/macro dynamics, excellent with SACD's and true 5.1 channel playback/outs. Built very well inside and out. A clear winner here in my system. Obviously you will have to pay more for the DV-50S then the Sony and Proceed.....that said, the cost has come down quite a bit over the past couple of years for pre-owned.

I can't imagine that DV-50's would sell for anything near $400 used.

I second the Oppo BDP-95 recommendation if you can find one. To be honest, even the BDP-93 sounds really good. There's one on eBay right now for about $200. I have a 93 in my HT system, so I only use it as a transport, but when I first got it, I tested it out in my other system using the in-boad DACs, and I thought it sounded great. For $200, it's certainly worth a shot. I don't see any 95s for sale right now anywhere near that price. The Oppo's seem to have great build quality, too.

"There's one on eBay right now for about $200."

That sounds like a really good option. At $200 I don't see any downsides. If you don't like it, you should be able to sell it without taking a loss.

That said, you may want to check the sellers feedback first. Its one of those deals that sounds too goo to be true.