I picked up a Dennon 2200 a few months ago and have been very pleased with the results so far, so I'm sure the 2900 will be nice as well.
One factor to consider, is the 1000$ player gonna be outdated in two years? With technology moving the way it is (especially w/dvd and sacd), the top of the line players will be average in a year or two. Why go all out when you can spend half as much, get a great product and still have $500 left over. It maybe worth it to some, and I can see why, but to me it wasn't. Just some food for thought.
Nick