Price Paid:  $300.00 from Local store

Summary:
Sorry, but I have to disagree with the other enthusiastic reviews. The music from the player was relatively conjested, even feeding into a Benchmark DAC1. It has gone off for modification. Not as goos as my modded Rotel.

Strengths:
Nicely built.
Excellent transport mechanism

Weaknesses:
Sound not great

Similar Products Used:
Rotel 865BX (modified)

Price Paid:  $400.00 from E-bay

Summary:
This model is hard to find. It has the same electronics as the Denon DCD-S10 (identical specifications), but a different Chassis. Great sound and a top-notch transport if you have a outboard DAC. There are also digital inputs for its ALPHA processor if you like to connect your Minidisc or any other recorder.

Strengths:
Build very solid, excellent digital outputs and transport. If used with its own DAC it has an excellent sound (definition and transparency).

Weaknesses:
None for its price.

Similar Products Used:
Onkyo 7911, Musical Fidelity A3.

Price Paid:  $500.00 from used/web

Summary:
I replaced an aging dcd1520 with the 3000. It uses the electronics of the S10. For me, it compares quite favorably with CDP's 3 times the cost and in many cases is better. That's a lot of value when you can pick this up used for <$500.

Strengths:
extremely detailed, smooth response; a warm, musical sound. The user interface (w/remote) is outstanding. Build quality is very good.

Weaknesses:
None to date.

Similar Products Used:
Denon, Myryad tested.

Summary:
I bought a demo-ex a while ago for half of the original price.I have already decided to buy DCD-1550 but when I compared them side by side
the DCD-3000 is much warmer och got more presence. I was told that DCD-3000 is
an DCD-S10 in another box. It has balanced output and also have coaxial/optical digital output and also optical/coaxial digital input!!
I must try to listen to my DAT through the DCD-3000's D/A.
The nearest companion today is DCD-1650 (3000 is slightly better).

Oh, I almost forgot....when comparing the cd's I used NAD's Silver-line
series power-amp and pre-amp with...I think it was DALI Evidence.