Vote best of these 7 CDP's

Sorry, bub.
My intent was to make a joke and have some fun, as indicated by the wink & smile ;-) Get it?! I was having fun with the remark you made about the dealer being 100 miles away, which could indicate thet you didn't want to make the drive.
I was not saying that you were unable to come to your own decision either, but there is a lot of that kind of insecurity around here. I am NOT the first nor will I be the last to encourage someone to make up their own mind.
I was also taking a swipe at people who believe everything they read here, or pump a dealer for info & expertise, then screw him by buying off the Internet, then bitch later about there being no decent dealers...another common bitch on the 'Gon)
I wasn't looking for a pontificating theological speech (quoting Plato? pulleeze!) full of irrelevant generalizations about what people (qualified or otherwise) think around here, nor was I deserving of your unnecessary snobbery and nastiness.
Excuuuuuse me!
I'm out...

What happened to my thread??? Golden Ears: My intent was to gather information and what I get is someone who steps up on a soapbox and then becomes indignant when I confront the misplaced comments. Go to a different forum if you want to discuss buyer's ethics. And, it might be a good idea not to make assumptions about intentions in posting a thread such as this one. Your comments may well have been in jest, but they read as condescending, as mentioned previously. If the former is truly is the case, then I apologize for my abrasive reply. But there is nothing theological about a discussion of perception, especially when it is in direct relation to your assertion that my thread was pointless.

Why don't you include Electrocompaniet EMC1 UP 24/192? It is also my vote.

I have looked into the Electrocompaniet, but they are typically out of my price range. I have heard very good things about the unit though.

I have to agree with golden ears. If your are going to spend that much money you should definitely demo them or at least get a loaner. Other things to consider if you need a player with volume controls if you are not using a preamp. System matching, audiomeca Mephisto II may not have enough gain with certain preamps.