budget component in high-end system?

I run a Chinese-made Doge 6 tubed CD player, which cost me about $1,600 with upgraded tubes, in a system that is otherwise high-end by most people's standards ($100k+). I've paid a fair amount for digital gear in the past, but won't do it anymore given the speed with which digital gear becomes obsolete: like any other computer, I can buy a relatively cheap current-production CD player that outperforms state-of-the-art digital gear from five years ago. There is of course a certain minimum level of money that must be spent to ensure that a CD player has a good transport and good power supplies, but even that is available cheaply now given what is coming out of China. This Doge smokes my ARC CD-3 and smokes smokes my Levinson 37/360s, all at a fraction of the price.

Sure I could get better performance with an AMR, Meitner, etc., but I just can't justify the added performance in view of the cost -- this thing sounds great!

I consider headphones a budget component when used within a high end system. The level of performance is great with relatively little money. I use a pair of Ultrasone 2500s with a Grado RA-1 battery unit with really high end results within a high end system.

I see a lot of Sony Playstations being used as CDPs in fairly high end systems.

I keep many pairs of real world priced interconnects, speaker cables, and power cords for demonstration to prove that components, not wires, are the backbone of a good system.

Dealer disclaimer

I would have to say the Morrison Elad Preamp. I have gone through several amps and speakers in the last 6 years, but I am still impressed with it's lack of identifiable "sound". Having said that, I would still give it up for a McIntosh C200.