I just purchased a Sony CDR-33 after auditioning several of the brands mentioned above. The sony has the latest 24/96 DACs and gives you SBM for analogue recordings. The sony like all professional recorders does not have SCMS. To audition in a music store just listen on a good pair of headphones to music you are familiar with. I used my Sennheiser (sp) 600s. Good luck in your search.
CD Recorders--Audio vs. Music Stores
I have been having a hard time making any headway with a cd recorder purchase decision. Audio stores sell one group of brands, while the musical instrument/professional recording stores sell almost entirely different product at very similar price points. The local musical instrument store is poorly set up for in-store auditioning of their cd recorders, and its sales "help" hasn't been very useful. The build quality looks better on the music store entries, but that may just speak to a preference for industrial design over walnut side panels. If anybody has experience using a tascam, one of the Sony pro audio units, or something similar in a home system, I'd appreciate hearing from them. My main interest is archiving material on digital that isn't going to last forever (and may not get supported forever) on vinyl.