I believe the best price to performance at this time (and likely in the future too) can be had via PC-based audio. This is the route I have chosen to go, but won't be fully set up for a month or so (waiting for my goodies to arrive). Do some searches on computer sources at the different forums.
Those who have done it say a computer setup done correctly sounds much better than traditional sources at the same price point. I read a post where a guy got rid of his $6000 CD player after 5 minutes listening to a Red Wine Audio modded Squeezebox (about $750).
The reason PC audio is better is because the CD can be ripped perfectly (you can make as many passes as you need), encoded losslessly, sent out of the computer via USB or wireless, and then converted into an SP/DIF signal by a low-jitter source, ideally running off battery power.
I also recommend battery powered D/A as well. I love the ack Dack 2.0, for instance.
Those who have done it say a computer setup done correctly sounds much better than traditional sources at the same price point. I read a post where a guy got rid of his $6000 CD player after 5 minutes listening to a Red Wine Audio modded Squeezebox (about $750).
The reason PC audio is better is because the CD can be ripped perfectly (you can make as many passes as you need), encoded losslessly, sent out of the computer via USB or wireless, and then converted into an SP/DIF signal by a low-jitter source, ideally running off battery power.
I also recommend battery powered D/A as well. I love the ack Dack 2.0, for instance.