Grange,
I own an Eclipse, so I'm gonna say Sim. ...Others to look at:
I'll second Natalie's recommendation Audio Aero Capitole - Stutts might have a few words on this CDP for you too. …And if budget is flexible there's also the Accuphase DP75V. All are good choices. $. I don't know if I'd put the Electrocompaniet in the same grouping, but this is a personal preference issue.
It's really hard to beat the Sim's performance& build/$ ratio. With regard to folks suggesting that the Sim lacks bass… they obviously have other gremlins at play in their system(s) and blamed them on the Sim. Even the best $ no object CDP will sound poor if not properly isolated or if mated to poorly matched ancillary components & wires.
As for Sony...well I haven't heard a Sony that would compare - except SACD, and it wasn't as close as you might think.
Cheers,
Mike
