Before buying my new CD player, I auditioned the Ayre C7xe, C5xe, Esoteric UX-1, and APL 3910 in 4 different rooms with 4 different systems. So, take my observations with a grain of salt. Within a 24 hour period, I spent at least 2 hours with each of the above 4 players, listening to my own CDs of my favorite music (mainly classical, with some folk and jazz). My objective was to find a player that is detailed, emotionally involving, and is capable of reproducing tonal, dynamic and transient nuances as well as the sweet delicacy of music without digital glare and harshness.
Although the system in which I auditioned the APL 3910 was the most modest of the 4 systems (the other 3 systems were 2 to 7 times more expensive), the APL 3910 was by far the superior player for my objectives and my ears/brain/heart. The C5xe is an excellent player. It came in a distant second. I bought the APL 3910 with the Crystal DACs for my primary system and the Ayre C7xe for my secondary system. (The C5xe was too expensive for my secondary system's budget.) I compared the APL and the C7xe in my own excellent familiar system. No contest! The twice more expensive APL is in a much higher league.
I have now upgraded the APL 3910 with the high-end AKM DACs. The AKM DAC version is clearly superior to the Crystal DAC one. The level of detail in harmonic texture, dynamic shadings, and micro-transients is exceptional. It's musical realism is the closest to live music I have ever heard. (I have attended about 200 live concerts.) It is difficult to convey the richness of its harmonic texture in words. To say that its harmonic texture is rich doesn't do justice to its sonic landscape, just as saying a sunset is golden doesn't do justice to its visual beauty.
I suggest that you post a request on the APLHiFi forum to see if any APL owner of the 3910 model in your area would be willing to let you audition the 3910 in his/her system. Or attend a show (CES, Rocky Mountain, etc.) where APL will be exhibiting its 3910.
According to reports, the EMM DAC plus transport is excellent ($19,000-20,000 for the combo), but I have not heard it.
Enjoy the road to Musical Nirvana!
John
