What's the "worst" cdp for the money?

Linn Genki. Never heard it myself. Corresponded with a former reviewer at Soundstage who was to have reviewed the Linn CDP.

He said it was a real POS. Sounded like a circa 1985 player. He let the editor of Soundstage hear the player and he agreed and they scraped the review.

BW Maxx

I've heard A LOT of players over the years, and probably thirty or more over the past two years. Some I really enjoyed, while others just didn't do it for me. But not a single one fit the description of "$3K player that sounds like a $300 player." Sorry to disappoint, but that's just my opinion.

The worst CDP for the money is a broken CDP.
No question that one that plays is (usually) better than one that is silent.
My first doorstop was the first 1983 Sanyo $1,000. entry model.
That Sanyo had a tilt drawer and lasted about a year, Lucky that it broke BEFORE the warranty ended so I got it fixed and immediatly sold it.
The the Sony 102. (or was it the 110, or 201,, anyway the second generation thingy) That never played right. It sometimes took several tries of putting the CD in and pressing play to get it to work. Sold that to someone who was not in a hurry... She had it for many years, Happily reinserting CDs when she used it.
Then I had a Philips 880 (the fancy 1986 or so model for $750. That lasted ten years, and then a cap failed and I took a hammer to it.
Then the Sony 89ES changer, That died after 100,000 hours of constant play.. Hammered that sucker into dust too.
(I enjoy destroying things that gave me pleasure...)
Now one of my Sony five disc is acting up. can still use it but the heavy arm of distruction is not far off.
I also have a Sony SCD777ES and other assorted CD dreck. Soon enough they will all die a tragic death. And another Cd gizmo is added to take the place of the trash bin'ned sucker.
So far they ALL are crap.
Play it for 100,000 hours and the sucker decides to wear out... no way cheap junk!!!!

Elizabeth, how do you find the time to listen to your CDP for 100,000 hours? 100,000 hours for a CDP is great in my book. My last Sony lasted 40 hours before it started to develop problems. Amusing reading, your post:)

Incredible, Elizabeth! If you listened for 10 hours every day, that would equate to about 27.37 years of play. That's pretty good reliability. Sure you weren't counting in dog hours?