The ERC-1 is a very good CD player. If the Emo preamp has the same price to performance ratio you should try it, $399.00. They will give you a 30 day return window and it has very cool features including a built in subwoofer crossover with both high/low cutoff and a phono stage. The ERC-1 is fast and spreads the sound stage out which would help with Metal. Or, any music but I think it does good for Rock. The highs are there but shouldn't be a problem with equally as good gear. The ERC-1 performs way better than it's price would suggest, that's why I think the USP-1 might be a good option. You could get both and be slightly over $800.00 with shipping.

If you want to replace your DVD just get a Blu-ray player. Prices have dropped, for instance, you can buy a Panasonic dmp-80 for under $160.00. This is a premium player for the price of entry level.