Todd, Alan apparently logged out about an hour before your question and he may or may not get back to the thread. In the meantime I'll add some comments. Yes, if you get a 562 there should be no audible difference between it and your 563 in playing CDs if the volume level is calibrated to be equal(output levels of players vary slightly and this can lead to the misimpression that the slightly louder one is better). You mention that you'd be using the analog connections, so I gather that you may be thinking of possible differences between the DACs in the two players. Your 563 uses the excellent Texas Instruments(Burr-Brown)DSD1791, as shown in the DVD player table
here . The Wolfson DAC in the 562 may measure slightly higher, but the 1791
specs already exceed the needs of human ears and the program material, as is typical of the inexpensive(maybe $1 each in quantity) DACs available to manufacturers today. So the Burr-Brown 1791 in no way should be considered audibly inferior and you shouldn't be concerned about a difference in DACs, which is an outdated concept.
Speaking of Alan's broad experience and his mention of blind tests, I ran into
this informative and somewhat humorous old test conducted by Dr. Lipshitz at which Alan was present(wonder if he got his watch back). Ivor Tiefenbrun, the maker of Linn turntables and(now)CD players and the possessor of some rather bizarre audio beliefs experiences truth in audio by way of the blind test.
