Is there a"giant Killer" CDP ?

This is a no brainer. The Audio Aero Prima MK2 CD player at FULL retail ($2250) smokes most every player twice its price, and yes it does get very close to the "Big dogs".

You can always ask to audition the players at home. It's been my experience that dealers are willing to oblige home auditions.

Trelja mentioned the Granite. I have the Granite 657 tube CDP and have been very happy with it--I've seen them used for less than 2K (and demo'd for slightly more than 2K). I've compared it side by side only with a Meridian 508.24. The Granite sounded significantly better (more liquid, less etched) than the Meridian to my friends and me.
But, as the posts show, there's a lot of good players available.

Disc, you have a great CDP there! I hope it provides you with many, many years of listening pleasure.

Maybe it's just me, but the title of this thread is "giant killer CDP". As much as I like the Audio Aero products, the Prima is not a giant killer, it is in itself a giant. To me, a giant killer CD player will fall under the $750 price point(give or take). Spending more than that is a commitment, where the meat and potatoes audiophile components exist. At this level, good sound should be a given.

Look, there's no "giant killer" CDP out there. There's a ton of good machines, some great, some fantastic and some not so good. Determining what CDP is best for you depends on taste. And, because the digital medium is moving so fast, better sounding players are appearing on the market all the time at a lot of different price points. Part of the fun in all of this is researching reviews, visiting dealers and doing home auditions, and of course spending a lot of time on Audiogon to find a player that suits your taste. And, then comes the upgrade when you get to sell your machine and start the whole process all over again. Also, next time, give us an amount you're willing to spend. Making player recommendations without a price is kinda difficult.