Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm an amateur audiophile and have listened to many (many) CD players of all stripes. I know what music is supposed to sound like and I've never thought that CDs did a good job of recreating the musical experience. My primary rig is a dedicated Rotel transport with a Musical Fidelity A3-24 DAC (not a cheap combo) with JPSLabs wiring, etc. Even with that setup, I still thought my system sounded better via my modest VPI turntable. Well, that was until I took a listen to this inexpensive Onkyo unit to replace a secondary CD player. Onkyo has nailed it: Spacious, sparking highs without any "tizzy" stuff, incredible low-level detail; real bass; unit is absolutely quiet. Hey, this sounds like music! I hear that Onkyo is coming out with a much higher-end C-7070 dedicated CD player (prob $700), but for $200, this unit is an amazing bargain. I'm listening to the Onkyo directly through the headphone jack and, as said, I'm blown away. BTW, you'll need at least 48 hrs of continuous playing to break in the unit (put a CD on repeat and leave it running). I suppose it's possible the unit will sound different via the rear audio outs...I'll find out soon and will report back (but I'm assuming the same audio signal that's reaching my headphones will also be output via the audio outs). What are the downsides? Well, the tray looks / sounds cheap when it opens/closes. On the black units, the front-plate lettering is really subtle and you need lots of light to see which button you are pressing. However, the remote is very clearly labeled and doesn't have any legibility issues. No HDCD decoding. Upsides: Incredible audible experience. Fatigue-free listening. Solid unit (and not too huge either). Nice headphone jack (but you'll need an efficient set of "cans" to enjoy). Display dims. Flexible audio outputs. Get one before they're sold out or Onkyo realizes they have underpriced this unit and either changes something or reprices. —- So this did happen!! Onkyo apparently replaced the DAC with something not as well engineered (I hear it's a TI Burr Brown which is a competent company, so who knows). Anyway, my review only applies to a “vintage” 7030 with the Wolfson DAC. Update Nov 2022: I took apart the player to vacuum out any accumulated dust. That stopped the occasional mistracking. I'm using the player with the MkII CD Blacklight and I'll tell you every liquid, perfect note hits my Grado SR80 headphones like it was the most important note ever created...until the next note comes along.