Best Sounding CD / SACD player under 15K

Ditto on the Naim 555. Absolutely superb Redbook and Naim has an excellent rep for customer service. There is one up now for $10K. (No relation to the seller, of course). The only thing is - it is a top-loader and has a large separate power supply, which may be an issue in certain installations. But from a sonic standpoint, a no-brainer. Another choice might be a Linn CD-12. A very compelling redbook player that just unravels layer upon layer of music. I would check with Linn that they have the ability to service them. They generally go for about $8K used. Also, they are a compact front-loader, which works well if space is an issue.

Joe, you should add a pre-loved/ex demo Vitus SCD-010 to your list. The SCD-010 is from their Signature series & is one of the best rbcd players in the world. Vitus sounds very analogue & smooth. Resolution is as good as it gets for a rbcd deck, and build quality is extreme.

Esoteric K-03, since you said CD/SACD first.

I agree with Amfibus, and particularly on the Playback Designs recommendation. If you go with the PD, you also get a full set of DAC inputs in case you ever want to use it also as a DAC with a media server. I also have had a few Denon players and the PD clearly outperforms them.

I have an Ancient Audio Lektor Prime - now #3 on the list. It is superb. I can only imagine how much better the Lektor Air and Lektor Grand are by comparison. Worth a consideration, anyhow.