Ayre C 5xe Universal vs. Cary 306 SACD


Has anyone done a direct (as in same system), thorough comparison of these two players? If so, please let us know if you were able to compare their performance on both red book CD's and SACD’s and how it turned out. Some back ground about the setup, gear, music material, etc. would be helpful, too. Thanks.
kalan
I have had the opportunity to listen to both the Ayre and Cary (I own the Cary). As with everything in this whacky hobby it really comes down to personal preference. I do not think the Ayre and Cary sound similar at all. I listened to an all Ayre setup (K1xe + V1xe) with BW 802d speakers. The sound was great! Very holographic, easy, airy. Everything sounded BIG to me. For my taste, it was a bit too BIG and a little lean. Some people would love the detail of the Ayre. I happen to prefer a slightly dark and warm sound with an empahsis on the midrange, which is exactly the Cary house sound. The 306 is just so smooth. The bass is incredible. Do I get the impression that the Cary has as much detail and resolution as the Ayre? No. But that is not to say that the Cary does not have detail and resolution it is just that the character of the Cary presents the music differently. The first impression I get from the Cary is its great midrange and bass. For example, last night I actually got chills listening to the Cary. I could not believe how magical the vocals sounded, so real, so intimate. Again, this suits my listening preferences.

So the bottom line is that both players are great! What sound are you going after? That will dictate which player is right for you.
So....TBoooe, did you listen to both players in the same system, back to back? If you listened to them in different systems, way too many other variables are involved.
I used to own the Ayre and now I own the Cary. I think they're about equal on redbook cds, the Ayre having more detail and the Cary more body and weight. The Cary has a warm presentation that draws you into the music while the Ayre is all about truthfulness. It really is all about one's preference. I definitely enjoy sacds more on the Cary; I didn't like the lowered analog output level on sacds with the Ayre.
joey, with your ML Summits, I would go for the Cary. I would be concerend that the Ayre combined with the Summits would be too much of a good thing. The sound may be too clear and detailed to the point of sounding harsh. Let me know what you decide...