Welcome to Cheap and Cheerful. My advice is get one of the better universal players for cheap, my JVC XV-523 cost $5 at a thrift shop plus $7 for a universal remote that mates well. Make sure it has a digital out that fits your needs, some Sony's only have optical, because you'll want to get a nice sounding DAC to pair with it. The Topping E30 is $149, the Loxjie D30 looks even better for $179, the are many others. My JVC has a lovely sound on its own, sweet and romantic, lacking in resolution, but quite musical. It's not in the same league as the little Topping.
You could try a little older model from one of the well regarded brands, Rega, Tempest, Meridian, et al. But that means older lenses assemblies and drive units, they all break. Accessoriesforless.com has a Marantz for $400 and a Denon on backorder for $239. Lastly NAD and Cambridge Audio have some nice sounding units around your price range.