I owned this piece for over two years.I sold to downsize my system. Note that apparently the transport is no longer being made (or supplied to EAD), according to a report I read in the Absolute Sound, which is why John Marks is now using a different player in the system he writes about. I think the player is very hard to beat. It has a solidity and wholeness to the sound that grows on you - it is not spectacular in a quick audition. Partly, I think, because the output level (2 volts) while standard, is low compared to some players, and partly because the noise level is so low that there's no edgy sound. Some have said it sounds too mellow. But I've played some rotten, grainy recording on the player and the sound was not mellow. It basically gave you what's on the disc. The build quality is great. You should be able to find one used for $1200 or so. In a crowded market for CD players, it's pretty good value at that price. I'm now using cheap DVD player plus monarchy DIP plus AA DDE 1.1 which sounds pretty good, too. Just cheaper.
