In response to OP question, I have an Aesthetix Romulus Eclipse CD/DAC unit. I use the DAC to process signal from my media bridge streamer. I’m very happy w the SQ. I don’t play CDs as much as I stream, but I think there’s value in a quality transport to spin w/o jitter and in my case, the tubes add a lushness to the digital signal that I find appealing.
Recommendations for CD Player/DAC Combo
I was slightly surprised that there isn't a very large selection of CD player/DAC combos out there. Yamaha, Marantz, Musical Fidelity, and a few others make them, but not many other companies. It seems like building a cd player into a DAC makes a lot of sense, like an integrated amp. Can anyone recommend one these? My budget would $3000 tops. Thanks, J