Good Universal Player with Balanced Outs

I think the Teac DV50 has a set of stereo balanced outputs. The Linn Unidisk does also, but it is much more expensive. Why are you stuck on the XLR connections? If you don't have a long cable run, and if all the equipment isn't of a fully balanced, differential design, there's probably no advantage to a balanced output.

SACD and redbook is about as universal as I care to go. For that, I would recommend the Sony SCD-1 or 777es cdp's.

As for the XLR outs, I wouldn't want it any other way. Every now and then a certain amp comes along that does fabulous things with those extra 2 volts from the XLR connections. Things that in comparison can make single-ended connections seem rather enemic, flat, and top-heavy. In other words, pretty lifeless.

-IMO

Well, the full story is that I am having a builder make me a balanced headphone amplifier that requires balanced inputs for me to drive my balanced headphones. I would like to get a source to go along with this player, so I can go off and enjoy my music while the wife and kids are watching/listening to the main system evenings. I have been really excited by the new formats and have just been waiting for the players to improve enough that they are worthy long-tem investments. I tend to find equipment I really like and then hang on to it forever. I tried a stop-gap measure and picked up a Wadia 830, but unfortunately I find the sound quality isn't as good as my ModWrighted Pioneer 38a (which does not have balanced outputs). So the three alternatives I can see are:

1) Continue with the Wadia and then sell it in a year or two when newer generations of universal players come along with more mature implementations.

2) Have the Wadia modded by Great Northern Sound. I'm sure this would be a great setup for CDs, but it also means I'm putting 3K into a player that can't handle SACD/DVD-Audio.

3) Go for something like the Esoteric DV-50 you mention Thsalmon. My main concern here is whether or not the next couple of generations of universal players will be substantial improvements, much like with the early CD players, so in a couple of years I'll wind up replacing this player at a healthy loss. I went up to Teac's site yesterday, but they don't have any information about the DV-50 that I could find to determine the exact specs (and where'd find one).