SACD player recommendations?

One choice could be the Denon 3910...you could start with he stock unit and get mods done as you wanted to upgrade. Apparently, the APL or Exemplar modded units are supposed to compete with the best SACD players out there...

Reference Audio Mods modded Samsung HD-841.

Doesn't Music Hall have a SACD player called the Maverick or something? I'm pretty sure that player falls within you price range though I don't know if it plays hdcd. But if you like the sound of your Mambo and it seems as if you do then you'll probably like the sound of the Maverick as they're very likely voiced to complement each other. Happy listening!