The Audio Research CD-3 MkII is close to your budget and is an amazing machine. A way to get a 'world class' machine is to find an EAD Ultradisc 2000 for about a grand and then send it to Noble Eletronics for SOTA mods for another grand. For $2,000.00 plus your time and trouble you'll have a machine that will holds it's own against anything in the market.
