I would suggest that you consider the Kenwood Sovereign DV 5700. While the list on the 5700 is $1,200, you can find them within your price range. I have the Pioneer Pro 510 and am very, very pleased with the PQ and sound. I bought and returned the Sony 9000ES which, being a Sony DVD fan, was very hard for me to do. In my opinion, the Sony did not produce nearly as good of a picture as the EAD TVP. I am less concerned with DVD-A or SACD. I am most concerned with picture quality and the 5700 really delivers in that department. You also may wish to consider the new Philips 962 which incorporates the same chipset as the 5700 and retails for about $600. Based on several threads at www.avsforum.com, the sound quality seems to be pretty good as well.