Without a doubt, I recommend the Cambridge Audio 840C. Fantastic sounding player that doesn't require taking out a second mortgage on the house. Solidly competes with players costing a whole lot more $$$$$.

Marantz SA-11S2

RG

Check out the Arcam CD192. Great CD player, especially when you consider it's cost. Detailed, with a good sense of space but never bright. The CD36 also from Arcam is probably in that range too but I'm not sure it's worth the extra money. The Ayre Cx7e is absolutely killer, but because of the monetary conversion rate and import costs I'm not sure if it falls into your price range. If it does, that would be my front runner.

For my money, Consonance CD120T Linear non-upsampling player is pretty impressive. Especially considering it's under a grand. I really liked the Primare CD31, although I didn't have extended period of time to play with it. With your budget, I guess you can go for a fancier player. But these 2 players were really impressive for the money.