One note: D-NE1's digital output is limited to Redbook Audio only (ala MD-Link). No Digital-Out for MP3 or ATRAC3plus, ever.
Another note, the player may or may not be finicky about the media you feed it. I've not a problem with this player thus yet, but its sucessor model (D-NE900) does, especially with 40-48X burnt CDs. In fact, the CDs that have trouble skipping and reading on the D-NE900s has no problems with D-NE1.
Oh, the US versions of the D-NE1s are still readily availble, either via SonyStyle.com or various retailers in the US. In the West Coast, check out your local Good Guys.