While Alan is certainly very knowledgeable, you have to take his comments with the additional knowledge that in the electronics industry, it has always been customary for the speaker manufacturers to downplay the role of the components and the component manufacturers to downplay the role of speakers.
The Linn CEO downplays the roles of speakers with just as much verve as "Axiom's resident expert" (don't doubt he is an expert but he is a paid expert, btw. no? if not, please let me know) downplays components. Both have tests and studies. Both tests and studies are flawed. In double blind testing it always comes down to a human to say whether it "sounds better". This is the double blind instrinsic flaw.
Besides, my opinion is that it would be stupid of me to tell you to get the cheaper player even if you think it sounded worse. JohnK will speak to you as if everything he says is fact, remember that. It is not fact. Double blind testing is inherently flawed and none of us lives in a double blind world. Good luck!
