Thanks for the recommendations. The Apollo seems to be the
consensus here. There is one local to me that I will check out. The only tidbit
I found regarding the Apollo is that it has a tendency to have a bright spot in
the upper frequencies? If I increased my budget a little, would the Cambridge
840c be a contender? Or (and I know this is an older unit) what about a Linn
Mimik? Or Naim CD5? The Rotel 990 (as Maritime51 recommended above) is a rare
bird indeed. The RCD-991 is more common, and, from what I have found, the
difference being the transport--which can change the impact of the sound? As
for Rotel, another model I'm curious about is the RCD-1072? However, from what
I have read, the Rotel may be too edgy in the upper range as well? I'm
currently using (and comparing) my Pioneer PD-R509 cd player/recorder, as well
as a Sony PS1. The 509 actually sound pretty darn good with the 300i. It's
bold, energetic and dynamic. But, it can get a tad bright at times on the wrong
CD. The PS1 though seems to balance (smoothen) everything out nicely. However,
when going directly from the 509 to the PS1, the PS1 can sound almost veiled. From
reading reviews (both user and magazine) the Cambridge 840c and Linn Mimik seem
to be very neutral sounding players that lean towards being very smooth, yet
have very good resolution and detail—particularly the 840c.
