I didn’t want to clog up Jim’s DAC thread but reading it piqued my interest again in trying an external DAC for the first time.
Tbh my CD player is very good sound-wise so I’m not sure what an external DAC would bring given that I’d be looking for something under £500 new or second-hand.
Any suggestions - reasonable or otherwise - would be gratefully received. 
The Rega DAC is a great starting point
That looks ideal Chris
True this, but that one’s a bit spendy in my opinion.
If you can find one cheaper let me know Rob 
I’ve got one of those, from @Kevin iirc? and totally agree that they’re really good.
I was a bit sceptical that it would be better than the onboard DACs in my Denon SACD and Sony Minidisc (the latter has a very well regarded one, some people actually buy the deck just to use them as a DAC).
But it really was a clear improvement. As a first stand alone DAC I’d be very happy to recommend it.
It does sound ideal tbh
They do pop around £150 to £175. Just be quick! 
So would I
Buy this:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226435961045
Really lovely sounding bit of kit, and the internal DAC can accept an external input from another digital source. Total bargain at this price. Keeps the box-count sane. The pickup-only brigade are usually OK if you organise your own courier at your own risk.
Sadly I don’t have the readies or I would 
I’d wait this out until you do mate - differences between DACs are probably the smallest of any bit of audio kit, so at the few hundred quid mark you’re sidegrading at best.
If you simply want to try a dac to see if it makes a difference I have a (please don’t all laugh at once 
) Cambridge Audio Dacmajic (not sure if it’s a messed about with 1, or a boggo standard 2) that you can have for cunt-all if it helps just for a try out? I can probably bring it to Pinchbake if someone can help with the follow on journey to you? 
Thanks for your kind offer of a loaner but I’ll hold off for now as I may just stick with the CD and stop reading Jim’s DAC thread
We need to drag you dahn saaf for a bakeoff or few 
Fairy snuff Allan, but just for clarity my offer wasn’t as a loaner (apologies if my wording was confusing), rather more as a FOC keeper if of any use to you. 
I realise it’s a tad “old school cheap ‘n’ cheerful” & likely not up to scruff in the world of modern DAC’s but the offer stands if you fancy a “scratch & sniff!” 
(You could always just keep the box/chassis/mains lead & give it to Coco or another suitably qualified Dr DAC to fettle it with foo, thereby costing waaay more than a half decent sensible option would have been in the beginning, as is the usual way?) 
Edit: I have no idea what cd player you are using (& obviously it’s internal DAC capabilities) so if this offer remains de’risable then absolutely zero offence taken! 
Sorry I misunderstood.
That is very generous - if you don’t mind I’ll have a think about it over the weekend and let you know.
My CD player is a Marantz CD60.
Of course.
I’ve used it with a Marantz CD 63 Ki Signature & a Trichord Clocked CD 67SE & whilst very different it was to me an improvement. YMMV?
Let me know, it’s no bother to get it to Paul’s next weekend if you can sort out onward transport via an AA ambulance?
Al
p.s. Fwiw I now have an Audiolab CD 7000 and it deffo isn’t an improvement over the DAC in that! 
I borrowed one of these from tuff bob many years ago and it sounded excellent, a bit red, but very good.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/267091076221?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=nj_gXWqQSR6&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=-d3vY8obRg6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY