The best CD player new or used for under 500

I got lucky and got a Theta Data Basic 2 for $375.00. I have no complaints.

sony scd 333es with the bonus of sacd a very solid player

You may also want to consider sending your link DAC to Stan Warren also for some excellent mods.

I am using an Arcam Alpha 7se as a transport. I have seen these used for around $250. They have very fine transports because they were made to be upgradable to the Alpha 9. That upgrade changed only the DAC meaning that the Alpha 7se has the identical transport to the 9 and both RCA s/PDIF out and a toslink out.

Given the 24/96 requirement specified in Dave43's, how about one of the Pioneer DVD players? Even brand new there are several current models that sell for well under $500 and there are slightly older ones from the Elite series that are extremely well built that can be bought for under that amount. I get superb results with the DV 525 working in conjunction with an Encore Ovation DAC which isn't even an upsampling unit as I believe the MSB is. By the way the manufacturer of the highly regarded Bel Canto upsampling DAC 1 specifically recommends the use of such 24/96 capable DVD units with his design; I have no idea what MSB thinks along these lines.