Which CD with Volume control up to $3500

Resolution Audio Opus 21 will do it.
Absolutely outstanding CDP.

AA Capitole mk II is great run direct. IMO makes a better match with JC1 than Opus.

Go for the BonModwright Sony9000es DVP,I heard the
combination of the JC1 and the Sony, they
do sound good together.I heard them in two system.
Good Luck.

You might check out this Wadia 850 w/ GNSC mods on A-gon right now, though its a few dollars above your target. And no, I am not the seller. But I own a GNSC modded Wadia 861, and it is extremely good.

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlplay&1145235446

resolution audio opus 21.

that player is amazing.

The Audio Aero Capitole II is slightly better than the Resolution Audio Opus 21, sonically speaking, IMHO.

(Not that the Opus 21 is anything less than a great cdp, as I will attest to as a proud owner! Until I heard the Capitole II, it was the best I had heard. It sounds as close to vinyl as I had heard, .... until I heard the Capitole II.)

However, I have heard them both and I agree that the Capitole II is slightly better sonically. It sounds just a bit better, and a bit closer to the sound of vinyl.
(As you can see, I compare both to vinyl, as the sound of vinyl still reigns supreme, in my book anyway! A good analog system will beat both of the aforementioned CDPs, and not by a small margin either. My opinion of course!)

Now, whether the Capitole II is worth 2 to 3 times the cost of the Opus 21, is another matter. (The cost of the Capitole II is about $8K new/$4,000 used, assuming you can get good deals, and the Opus 21 is $3,500 new(never a discount as it is sold direct from the manufacturer!)/and $2,500 used).

For me, it is not worth the price difference, as I would much rather put all my extra cash into my analog system, and the Opus 21, while not quite up to the Capitole II standards, is close enough for me!)

However, if you can afford the extra money, and you really want the best, go for the Capitole II, especially if you don't have an analog source!

My two cents worth anyway.

I compared the Opus to the Waida Stock 861 and the Wadia was my favorite. The Opus is very dynamic and sounds really good but the Wadia was better. The Opus also need a better power cord to compare. That being said, I think the Cap MKII is slightly above the $3500 limit. The suggestion for the modified 850 sounds like a reall good option as does the Bon Mod Sony.

Happy Listening.

I own the Opera Audio Consonance Reference 2.2 and am very pleased with its build, sound, and looks. These are available on A'gon used for <= $1K, making it an awesome bang for your buck. However, I listen to most of my music (jazz, acoustic, vocal) via the balanced circuit, which bypasses the volume control. I actually prefer the sound of the unbalanced (awesome cymbal decay and vocals quality), except some of the hi-end definition seems to be missing in this mode.

Another vote for Wadia though I must also nominate the Cary 303/300 cdp.