What is the best redbook CD player for 6K to 8K?

If you buy and expensive CD player you are making a mistake in overlooking USB DACs. I have a Wavelength Audio Brick and blows aways most of the $4000 players out there. Ayre being one of them.

Honestly, do yourself a favor and give a hard look to Wavelength Audio products, they are second to none. Computer convenience, with Audiophile sound.

The 1.1 is a great player...But when you revisit the market to buy a new front end, it most likely won't be a CD player.

Jim, thats a great player...But when you move into buying another player consider a USB (or whatever interface) DAC.

Investing in "heavy expensive" CD players right now is like investing in an tape deck when CD's were new.

Dbld...Thats a nice player! best of luck with it.

Cwlondon- really? Let's test your memory..Name me one or two that were on the same scale as a CD player at the time?

And quite honestly, it is not an apples to apples comparison anyway, so making that comparison directly is not accurate. I was simply comparing the purchase of a CD player now.

A USB DAC is something that has really created it's own class. But it is similar to CD in the sense there is a transport (the PC) which is more stable and incredibly flexible, and also in the sense there is a DAC. However it is has become a seperate of it's own, completely carved out from the chassis of the CD player chassis. Something we all know the value of. I am not trying to impose any opinions here, other than saying the CD itself is (to quote a phrase) dead, dead, dead. For a multitude of reasons...One being it was nothing more than a transitional medium in the grand scheme of digital playback. The other reasons we are all aware of, online music, iPods, iTunes, convenience etc.

Who knows though, in a year or two we could be describing USB DACs in much the same way. But one thing is for sure, CD's won't be revisited and to spend alot of money on one now only says one thing. You're not familiar enough with a PC/MAC to take the plunge.

Used the Cx-7e...I wasn't so impressed with the Ayre, it was a nice piece, involving. I thought it sounded a little hollow compared to what I have now. Sounded tingy and pitched at times, no warmth. But the biggest characteristic I notice from that player to the combination I use now is detail. I get so much detail out of the Brick I am simply amazed. Today I went to a dealer to audition the Super 8's in an effort to get a more efficient speaker than my 804's. They hooked them up to some serious equipment. Nagra Pre Amp, Nagra CD player, Moon amp and so on...I gotta be honest, and I am the first to point out a weakness in my system, in fact I look for them. But I felt like my current set up in most ways, sounded better than what I heard today. I was with my friend and he agreed that he expected more, especially at those prices.

I also auditioned the Dynaudio Contour 1.4, and they were totally outperformed by the Super 8's. But in the end I am like the warmth of my B&W's, I know there is better out there, but I love the sound signature of B&W, it is what brought me into hi-fi.

I couldn't be happier with my set-up, so much so that I am upgrading to the Cosecant. Not because I am unhappy with the Brick-it is awesome! But I wanted a little more bass, and power, and the Cosecant matches my equipment better. Not to mention it looks great. Should have it in a month.