Audio Aero Capitole Classic vs. Ayon CD-2

Hi,
I've lived more than one year with the Audio Aero Capitole Classic that gave me great moments of listening.
Many qualities belong to this component: smoothness, detailed sound, quite large scenery, airy and a certain depth.
One evening, a friend of mine brought to me his new Ayon CD-2. We did a A+B test. It was not necessary to listen to a long time to note a higher level of listening with
the Ayon CD player. You find in this last one all the
qualities of the French CD player but improved in the Austrian CD player. Also, one great quality of the CD-2,
you find only on very expensive CD players, is the repro-
duction in really analogical sound, very close to a good
turntable. You feel you're more involved in the music; you forget the machine or the electronics. The colours of
each instruments or voices appear in great clarity and the
smoothness of reproduction permits long hours of listening
without fatigue. In few words, I can say the Ayon CD-2 offers many qualities that demanding audiophiles require.
A great winner. I'm very happy to have discovered this Austrian company that deserves to be more known in America.
Michka

I recently had an extended audition in my system with the AA Capitole SE. In my system, the music imaged forward, and had a very lively energy that was great with rock music.

Unfortunately, the sound was a bit hyperdynamic, forward, and a bit tipped upward in the upper midrange. I realize this isn't the conventional sound for AA, but this is how it came out in my Ayre/JM Lab Utopia system. It's ineresting that a few other posters have also noticed this in the SE.

YMMV.

I have compared these two products side-by-side in a tube integrated based system with Gemme Audio Katana and LeHave Audio Angelus speakers. The Audio Aero is good without question, yet the Ayon CD2 wins out significantly on facilities, overall presentation of sonics and most importantly, PRICE ! Some of the well reviewed players are gonna need a re-design to meet the Ayons performance ans sonics at $5500 USD retail

Well I've heard the Ayon CD-2 as well. Not the Audio Aero but some other very fine players and I thought the Ayon was very good. The built in "pre" is also a bonus.

I've not listened to the Audio Aero, but I recently purchased the Ayon CD2, and I can say is WOW! It's like the musicians are right in the room with you. It's just a great piece of equipment, built like a tank, too.

One thing- if you want a tube CD player to do some tube rolling, don't get the Ayon. They use proprietary tubes, and tube rolling is NOT recommended.

I have a AA Capitol Classic SE and an Ayon CD-5. I have compared them side by side for several months.

I always like the AA better. It is smoother and has more air around the voices and instruments. It has a delicateness and a inner-soul that the Ayon does not have. True- the Ayon is slightly more dynamic and slightly more transparent- but not by much. The air of the AA and the rythmic musicality in my opinion are superior than the Ayon CD-5. I like it better overall

Your comments are interesting Tzvir. I just a-b-a tested this player against my CD-5 with another audiophile and I felt the AA was more rolled off & less extended, had a 'veil' over the music & had bloated midrange. We both agreed the Ayon had better soundstage and sounded more accurate and detailed. The AA was certainly rythmic, though to me instruments sounded more accurate on the Ayon. A cymbol sounded like a cymbol, a snare drum had palpability & an oboe in the right of stage sounded eerily believable and placed accurately within the stage. All will form different opinions based on their ear and system. This is just mine..

I agree- the AA does have more of a veil and is less detailed. It is without a doubt less accurate than the CD-5.

However- I like that veil. it is not a dark veil- rather a delicate very properly applied veil. That veil in my opinion is the soul of the AA. That veil is what makes the AA sound so delicate, soft and engaging. it is what pulls me into the music. The AA is an emotional machine. The Ayon is certainly not a pure intellectual machine- it is a hybrid emotion/ intellect machine. I guess it depends where your tastes lie.