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Am I behind the digital eightball?

Here's the scoop. I own the AA Prima cdp. I love the sound. When SACDS first came out, I avoided listening to them, not only because of the limitation of my Prima, but the 500 or so cds I have. Now, there are oodles of players that do both. The Ayre C-5xe review has got me thinking. Is there a digital front end that will, at the least, give me what I have with my Prima, plus SACD with equal panache. Now, better than my Prima would be nirvana. I bought my Prima new three years ago, and would love to spend, proportionately, the same $$ for a cd/sacd player. Any thoughts, recommendations? thanks in advance, warren :-)
128x128warrenh
puremusic
226 posts
 
Warren,

I listened to the Ayre C-5xe in a dealer's showroom and found it to be an excellent machine (and it is much better than the Ayre C-7xe which I own in my second system). But for about the same amount of money, the APL 3910 with the new AKM DACs is sonically head and shoulders above the Ayre C-5xe. The APL 3910 plays CDs, SACDs, DVD-As, DVDs and can be ordered with the multi-channel option. Alex Peychev of APL HiFi uses the Denon 3910 chassis and DSP and replaces everything else according to his own design. The built-in hybrid attenuator allows me to connect my APL unit directly into my amps in my primary system. Check out the reviews of the APL Denon 3910 on couple of threads on Audiogon as well as on the APL HiFi website.

Best Regards,
John
phasecorrect's avatar
phasecorrect
2,013 posts
 
I bought into the sacd craze when it was first introduced...and over time...have been less enthralled with the results...due to limited releases pertaining to my listening habits...and the marketing debacle Sony and others have created....at any rate...the Stone releases were a relevation...but are these truly DSD recordings? SHouldn't the praise go to the remastering efforts? At any rate...sounds like you have a fair amount of cds...your collection would be best served IMHO with a hi-end dedicated player...which you have...SACD is currently pandering to the HT/Multi crowd with little fanfare...which masks the real kicker: the dramatic improvement conventional cds have made over the years....thanks...
tripper
223 posts
 
Counter the cost of a SACD player vs. the quantity of Redbook music you could acquire. SACD holds no interest for me because I've assembled a few Redbook rigs that play music so well I have no desire to start over. Much better to hit the used CD shops and enjoy not only the music but more music.

Perhaps a TT is in your future. That is a format to consider exploring, esp. since the vinyl renaissance is well under way.
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