ESOTERIC K-07X VS Mcintosh MCD 550 Which is better ?

I have an Esoteric UX-3 in one system and a McIntosh MCD301 in another system.  I much prefer the Esoteric as it seems truer to the music, but the McIntosh  is very smooth sounding and even poor recorded cd's sound listenable.  It's a toss up and either player you mentioned will be a big step up from the Oppo.

I am a McIntosh person, have two Mac power amps, two Mac preamps and a Mac tuner, but when it comes to digital I would not consider Mac, there are better choices out there and for a lot less cost.

Thanks for posting that . Im using two Mcintosh  MC 252 amps  through a Krell KCT pre Amp with B&W 800D speakers and I was thinking the same thing . I like Mcintosh for their amps but not so much for their digital products . I bought the  Mcintosh MCD 700 player when it first came out in the eighties then purchased a Mcintosh MVP 851 later on and my oppo 95 sounds better than the MAC .
Ive also had tons of problems with my Mcintosh players . They have not been trouble free for me over the years .
Im still deciding between the two players Mcintosh MCD 550 or the ESOTERIC 7X

Zora ,the Esoteric 7x is one of Esoterics entry level player and is a light weight example of Esoterics line, if your budget is for a new 07x you could look into a used Esoteric O3 which is head and shoulders above the sound quality  performance of esoterics entry level players or look into another high quality brand   Do your home work .

 The MAC MCD 301 is not even close to the MCD 550! These units are completely different, the 550 has dacs from ESS and is a MUCH better sounding player. The McIntosh MCD201 and 301 are entry level players that sound pedestrian.


Matt M