I agree with Kurt_tank. The Capitole MKII is an outstanding player. I owned the Opus 21, and believe the Capitole to be considerably better. More body to the music, and a far more seductive sound. Still, I would have a look at the modded players. The Modwright and Exemplar are said to be very good, though I've not heard them. We have an APL modded 3910 with the new AKM DAC chip, and frankly even the Capitole is not in the same league. As always, it's just my opinion.
Best CDP in the $4k to $8k range
I just sold my Simaudio Moon Nova and am in search of a replacement. At the moment, listening to CDs on an Arcam. I have listened to a bunch lately - notably the Simaudio Eclipse SE (which I thought was great, but might suffer from a slightly bright uppermid), the Esoteric DV50 (which lacked the openness and extension of the eclipse), Mark Levinson 390S (which seemed a tad dry and reportedly suffers from reliability issues). The Wadia 861b was suggested to me and I will find time to listen to it. The Audio Aero Capitole also might be a contender. The rest of my system consists of a Placette active preamp, CJ Premier 11a, Revel Gems and B15 sub, Shunyata PCs and Hydra, and Sistrum rack. Those familiar with these CDPs, please help! Thanks.