I just sold my cd player what should i get?

Before you spend $2500 on a CD player, listen to a DVD-A and SACD player.

I think that the inherent superiority of the new disc media, even when played on an inexpensive universal player like the Pioneer DV45A ($400 to $500), more than equals the audio improvement possible through the esoteric circuitry and electronic components in High End CD players. There is a good argument that the 24-bit highly oversampled playback of regular CD's (that comes for free with the DVD capability) also improves the sound of these regular CDs.

Invest the extra $2000 wisely, and when the market settles down you can replace the inexpensive player with something from a High End manufacturer, so as to impress your audiophile buddies.

I wisper, but don't tell anyone...

I listened in direct comparison Cambridge D500SE($449 list $300 for demo) and CapitoleII players and they sounded very identical with exception that Cambridge was sounding a-little thinner than CapitoleII so for now just assume that it will be almost the same as Prima but for alot cheaper. I made the listening test through the active Avantgarde Solo speakers and Placette passive preamp. This system reveals any tiniest sound effects very close to headphones realy and there the difference was between directly two made on one of the excellent recordings of NYJG(New York Jazz Guerilla www.nyjg.de). I simply accidentally asked dealer to demo me Avantgarde with "cheaper" source and than to swap back to expencive and three of us(including my friend) heard either none or very tiny-little differences.

You can invest the rest of your budget for good used Pass Ono outboard phonostage to get much more buck-return.

I agree with Lafish.
I sold my old Krell and bought the Marantz SA-14 SACD player and placed it on the Nueance platform. The sound is fantastic, especially on CD's!

Richard

Marakanetz, am I reading you right? The Capitole (Audio Aero?), just barely better than the Cambridge? I don't know where to go with that. Gots to be...forgedda 'bout it. I admire your courage to post that. You are one confident listener, and I, truly, admire that. I still maintain that the Audio Aero Prima is, hands down, one rocking, beautiful, sweet, very expensive sounding, cdp. I would put it up against ANY cdp out there, and it would hold it's own---AT THE WORST! You think I love this baby? No stock in the company. Just a very happy audio-camper. I wish more audiophools would listen to this baby. I know they'd freak. First by the sound, and then by the price. peace, warren

I guess you could call the Linn a record player.(LOL)
My mistake, forgive me.