I faced the same qusetion last fall and here is how the question resolved itself: a local dealer provided me with a unit for home trial for a about a week. This was an Arcam FMJ CD 23 and it took me less than a day to decide to buy it based on a comparative audition with my JVC 1010. Yes in ten years quite a lot has been accomplished in cd reproduction. The newer unit simply was more detailed in its presentation and the instruments simply sounded more like musical instruments in that, for want of a better word, the Arcam has way more bloom. Briefly put, a home audition is to my mind the best way of assessing any component and I think that new formats will require a bit more time to sort themselves out so that if you don't go for an outlandishly expensive player, you should be getting your money's worth until something better comes along. I briefly auditioned a Rega Planet, in store, in a very modest system and in a very poor room, and felt it quite sombre in its presentation. Touted as being very analogue in its sound by two dealers, I came away thinking it to be somewhat dark. Personal preference, no doubt. Someone indicated his impression of my choice as lacking in PRAT, which I now understand means that my unit is somewhat akin to a jazz quartet with a less than topnotch rythym section but with a sax player with a killer tone. My explanation. Just listen to the units you are considering and decide what are the qualities you think are essential to you, but be prepared, good work has taken place in this ten year span. And please don't forget, keep some money for records, the whole thing is about the music first and foremost.
