Best analog sounding cd player under 5K


Hi,

Im looking for a new or used one box player mainly for redbook. My budget could go up to 5K.
I know and have read a lot of threads about cd players but none deals with the analog sounding issue. Also, not everyone like his cd player to sound like his analog set up.
I can define analog, as neutral(good tonal balance), organic, natural, with a lot of low level information retrieval, inmediacy,with very good 3d image, not forward sounding and not analytical. I think the extension at both ends is not a must. Obviously, It cant be dark or too bright sounding.

I have in my short list so far, resolution opus, bluenote sttibert, apl denon 3910, audio aero capitole mkII, ayre Cx5.
For the reviews and comments on several forums it seems that the most organic and natural sounding is the Stibbert. How does it compare with the others? And also what other should be included in this list?
Thanks
Alan Brain
alanbrain
CKoffend, sorry to hear about all the problems with your Capitol. I wasn’t really addressing the question to you but I guess it sounded that way. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. It is a great sounding player though. BTW, good analogy with the Jaguar. My first car was a used Jaguar XK-150 back in 1965. I had to park it at the top of the hill just so I could (jump) start it every day.
Don't get me wrong, I think the AA units are beautiful sounding and I truly think everybody, regardless of their preferences for warm or cool or anything in between should hear one in a good system. At the prices they often sell for, they are definately worth the money even if it needs to be repaired once. I am glad your experience has been excellent, it makes me want to move ahead and get mine repaired again. I just wish I could find a schematic as I am 99% sure it is just a bad solder or connection somewhere in the initial power supply or along that path.

If anybody has the schematics, I would pay for a copy!!!!!!!!!!! Contact me outside of this forum if you have one.

As to Jags, they too are beautiful automobiles and a great car to have, as long as you also have another car to drive.
Unison Research CDE with optional dual dac board, superb 'proper' quad tubed output stage, digital input, balanced outs, built like a tank, user replaceable transport & sounds mellifluous with mammoth soundscape....
Coolhand, is user replaceable transport slang for computer CD-rom drive? I am not giving you grief, just wondering if that is what is meant by that. I have not heard the Unison Research players, I'll keep my eye out.

Last weekend I picked up a Levinson 390S. While I like it, it does not fit the description of the poster's goals of being analog sounding (ie. like an AMR or AA). It also took me 20 minutes to figure out how to open the drawer - I actually had to read the manual for this!
Ckoffend, thanks for your take on the cd players. I went to Seattle last spring and listened to approx. 10 players and the best one of the bunch (in my opinion of course) was the Sim Audio dac300, it was also one of the cheapest. I have my amps in for service and they are being returned next week, so I am really tempted to buy this dac, at least for a start. I am also interested in the Esoteric XO-5, but it doesn't have digital inputs. There are getting to be so many good players/dacs that do high resolution music making it hard to make a decision, especially when you can't hear them. Sandra