Suggestions for adjustable gain CD player

I looked at your system and noted that you like symplicity. Since I have many sources I can appreciate that. FWIW, I bought one of those 302's and while it was fine going thru my pre-amp with all the other stuff, I connected it to a tube amp direct - the end result was so rewarding that I'm presently using two independent systems. The original one with all the stuff, and a second one with just the Wadia and tube amp. And guess which gets the most play, and thats as simple as it gets. CDP/AMP. Cost a second set of cables and of course a synergistic amp. :-) FWIW.

Thanks Newbee for the thoughts. My system has changed and is not finalized, so I have not yet posted the changes. I do like to keep the system simple, and I still have the Aerial 9's and DNA 500, but I sold the Muse gear. I currently have the Ayre source and have been trying several tube preamps including the VTL 5.5 and an Atma-Sphere MP-3 (both nice). I want to stay with an all balanced system and I am considering getting back into vinyl so I will probably keep the MP-3. Therefore, the player will go through a preamp. The Ayre player ran hot through the MP-3, so that I could only use one or two clicks before the volume was getting quite loud. That is why I am interested in the Wadia players that allow you to adjust from 0.5 to 2.0 V output. Do you know of any others?

Greetings,

I suggest you keep your Ayre and spent $1,000 on a Placette RVC to go between your Ayre and Amps.

Placette is pretty much the best volume control on the planet and would far exceed anything you're going to get from a variable output from any source unit.

With the Placette, you also get remote volume control! I'm not sure life gets much better than that...Happy Listening

I had the Cary 303/300 and loved it.

The APL NWO-2.5 has this feature.