Best Cd Player under $4000?

If you can get an AMR CD-77 for $4k, my advice is to jump on it. It's one of the best digital sources available, and it's certainly not a player with a lean tonal balance. Whether it will fix the problems you are perceiving with tonal balance, I don't know, as I don't know the character of your Cambridge CDP.

I don't envy you. Been there before. Like the others said audition.Try at least a couple other players in your system to hear if that ameliorates the leanness problem. If it does then the problem is your current cdp. If not, then your problem is elsewhere.

I believe the best CD Player value (used) is the EAD Ultradisk 2000. These units can be had for under a $1,000.00 and will outperform almost anything new under $4,000.00. They can also be modified by former EAD designers and can be made to compete with exotics almost at any price. This unit stock is superior to the Audio Research CD2 and the Sony 9000es which has garnered an A+ rating from Stereophile. I replaced both of these items once I had the EAD unit in place. If you love a fluid silky sound, this unit is for you!

If you haven't seen it, you'll want to read this review of your amplifier, which describes several tweaks and tube changes that reduced the leanness they found it to possess, and also improved its imaging:

http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/pathos_classic_one.htm

Also, although I haven't heard it I suspect that the Doge 6 cdp ($1586), which has been commented on favorably by many audiophiles and is tube-based and contains an excellent dac, might add some of the richness you are looking for:

http://www.pacificvalve.us/DOGE6.html

Regards,
-- Al

I found the 840C a little lean also. I've since upgraded to a Marantz SA-15S2 and am now content.