Looking to get the best out of Redbook Cd listening with Dac a d Transport under 5K?

thank you all again. I am reading lots reviews and finding out there are so many products out there. Wow!  keep sending me responses! i think the Chord set up the guy is selling is too outdated on the Dac. It is a QBD 76 model and probably older technology. So steering clear there. Now wondering if I should just go with a great 1 piece CD player and great cables like brayeagle talks so highly about his Bryston or the Heggle 1 piece> Not sure I am wanting to go Streaming now! I enjoy hands on with the discs and using tweaks like the olden days with my turntable etc. I just wondered if it was better to go with the two piece setup vs the 1 CD player. besides the streaming capability etc. I want to keep it simple as possible but still have great sound. Last changes I made were over 10 years ago and digital has come a long way. So separate Dac and Transport vs Single CD player. Need to run Ballanced XLR due to only on Pre Amp! Bryston was recommended due to that! Marrantz on RCA! So that is where I am learning a lot all over again! In my 60's so not sure I want to mess with Streaming now! The Bel Canto is something I was looking at also but then what Transport? thank you all again for your help! I have brain injury so it is hard for me to process quickly but I am enjoying hearing your recomendations and thoughts on the subject!

I will toss another dac in there the Benchmark  DAC3 ( various models some with volume control) which is a very neutral dac that doesn't add to the music. I have one and run an inexpensive NAD CD player  and streamer through it to my McIntosh integrated. You have tube components so I  though I would mention this dac as it let's the sound of your tubes do the coloration you're after not the dac. It's  why I like very neutral  dacs. Benchmark has also been making  professional gear for years. I am in my 60's too and streaming isn't really hard to figure out or use. 

I like your idea of sticking with the transport/dac option for now and adding streamer later. I recently paired the Cambridge CXC transport to a Mirror Audio Tubadour III DAC and like the result. 

At your budget you could get the Jay's Audio transport and DAC with XLR outputs. 

I just purchased the Schiit-Yggdrasil DAC a couple weeks ago. It is allowing my media to sound amazing. I’m hearing old CDs that now sound  high resolution. I’m very impressed with it. Paired it with the Schiit FreyaS preamp and two Vidar amplifiers in mono to my Dynaudio Focus 260 speakers. The entire setup is sounding amazing. 

OP we have sold Chord in the past and the QBD 76 is completely outdated.

You really have to ask yourself if you really want to continue to spin CDs.

Soix suggested an Innous Mini which is indeed excellent, you can just burn all of your CDs and move into the modern world of streaming as well as having 100% access to your entire library.

One great dac is the Aqua Hifi La Voice which is a bit under $5k. The dac sounds very analog like and it has the advantage of never becomming obsolete. 

Aqua is the only company we know that makes completely upgradable digital solutions. So instead of being a fixed piece of hardware you can upgrade the digital as new technlogies come into existance.

There is a real difference in upgradable hardware vs software/firmware upgrades, usually the biggest change in digital is when a new piece of hardware superceedes an older bit of technlogy, with the Aqua the entire dac is made up from individual boards usally 8-10 boards so the entire dac can evolve. 

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ Aqua dealers