Were to go after a Rega Planet 2000?

naim audio cd 3.5 with a flatcap.all of the planets attributes plus more muscle.

I was where you are at a few years back. My NAD 502 that I loved died, so I looked around, tried a Planet. Then Moved up to the Planet 2000. Then Sold that and bought a Wadia 3200 transport Supported by a Theta DAC. Sold that and what did I end up with? Another NAD 502. The sound/price just can't be beat. If I upgrade, I will probably buy a used Audio Research Transport" they're down freeway from me" and wadia DAC. Maybe another brand that I have yet to hear.lol.

Hey Nick,
Just to summarize some of the cross-posts and you
favouring a Wadia like voicing in the DAC. The dAck introduce no phase artifacts in the time domain and would probably more mirror Wadia products which accept a slight roll-off(measured) in the frequency domain. In terms of perception, I do not miss it but only noticed it at the beginning. The flip side is that my previous DAC now sounds bright to me.

M. Crespo is using a Rega Jupiter with his version 2.0 dAck and says that it compares favourably against the likes of Museatex and Tri-Vista. Not too shabby company!

Nickway:

The small signal tubes in tube preamps and tube DAC's typically cost +/-$10 each. I think there are two tubes in the output stage of the Sonic Frontiers CD player I mentioned. But let's assume there are four. That's about $50 to retube the CD player.

Even if you use the component in what I believe is the wrong way, which is to not leave it powered up 24/7 and turn it on and off for each listening session, you would probably get at least a year out of the tubes. Keep it powered up 24/7 and you will likely never lose a tube. Yes, I know that leaving tube gear powered up 24/7 is believed to wear out tubes. My position on this issue was expressed clearly in the following threads (I believe it is one of the biggest myths in audio):

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1092946488&openfrom&1&4#1

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?htech&1088580687&openfrom&1&4#1

If you were running tube monoblock amps with a lot of output tubes, then, yes, you would be in for a big tube bill one day. But with tube preamps and tube DAC's, unless you have to have expensive new-old stock tubes and you try to save tube life by regularly powering the component up and down (the tube equivalent of the "bleedings" that 19th Century doctors gave to their patients), tube cost will be a non-issue.

Returning to the issue of what CD player to buy at your budget, I do believe that that Sonic Frontiers unit is extremely competitive for the money. The Naim units mentioned are excellent, too, but my experience is that that are merely ordinary unless you use them with one of the expensive Naim power supplies, which takes them way out of your budget.

R32657, did you come to the conclusion more expensive players are not worth it? Sometimes I think this. Please elaborate if you can.

Nickway, try audio asylum. There's a guy over there with the same issue. heheehheee.