....can I buy a cheapo without having to sacrifice sound quality if I connect it to the digital inputs of the 950?? I'm assuming that when you use a digital out the source becomes less important because it's not doing the conversion.....is that correct? If so, does anyone have a recommendation for a good, cheap cd changer to go with the 950???

Thanks

using the digital outputs you'll be relying on your 950 to do the decoding which will be better but the output will only be as good as the source material and the source playing it. If you get a "cheap" cd player/changer with optical out you'll be sacrificing some sound quality. what is your budget?