Well... the Stage 3 was returned to the seller for a refund. I never had a chance to compare with the Apollo. The Stage 3 had a display glitch at first, which was totally intermittent. I sent it back to be fixed. I got the player back and went to hook it up.... this time no sound. All connectors were checked and I had no idea. I was tired of fooling with it and I’ve read the long list of quirky issues with these models, so I asked to return it for a refund. I’m still using the Apollo. Speaking of players... does anyone have any experience with Myryad? Specifically, the MCD600 CD player? From the little info I could find, it sounds like a great sounding player. I'm contemplating selling the Apollo to pick one up. Also, is Myryad pronounced like the word Myriad?