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I'm not sure I can think of any good value parametric EQ standalone units that would work connected to your CD player.
Yes, only RME, minidsp 2x4 HD, or Flex. But I'm sure EQ will be in most upcoming DACs, now that Topping started the trend.
The Minidsp Flex is around $500 and can apply 10-band equalization to optical and coax inputs, so it will work with a CD player as the signal source. I've never counted how many CDs I've collected (my shelves are groaning under their weight) nor estimated how much I've spent, in total, on their purchase (if I knew that figure it would probably be so staggering it would alarm me). At this stage, investing 5 Benjamins in a signal processor for headphones would not be extravagant. But then, I could just buy the DCA E3 and completely avoid the need for equalization. Hmm...
If you go E3 then no need for EQ, but do you have a headphone amp? I'm asking because it needs some power. Also with E3, you can choose balanced or unbalanced cable so be careful to choose the right one - it's 330EUR when buying separately.