ESOTERIC X-03 VS. AYRE C5XE

As an owner of the C5XE I can only comment that it is worth every penny. I have been spending the last month or so rediscovering my CD collection. It does an excellent job on the SACD and DVD-A formats. I haven;t heard the X-03 but have listened to the DV50s and I feel the Ayre is superior.

The only thing in common between the DV-50 and the X-03 is the brand. DV-50 is an older universal design, which does not even have the TEAC VRDS transport, but an apparently very average OEM transport. X-03 is essentially a scaled down X-01, including a simpler/lighter version of the flagship VRDS transport.

I have auditioned Esoteric X-03SE side by side with Ayre C5XE. for me, Esoteric aced it. It has sweet extended highs; realistics voices; neutral midrange and tuneful but powerful bass. It simply deals with musically. It also digs details but never sounded harsh nor bright.

Right now, I owned Esoteric X-03SE for more than a month.
This might be my final upgrade on the source.

Anyway, do not take my words for it, Still try to audition for yourself.

B.rgds,
eddy

Kjl, another player you might want to consider is Lexicon´s new RT 20 CD/SACD-player. In Germany, two magazines tested the unit to sound as good, or even slightly better, than the Ayre and the Esoteric. Reinhold Martin of HiFi&Records, who owns the super-expensive, three-piece-dcs-CD/SACD-combo, tested both the Esoteric, and then the Lexicon, against it. His verdict about the RT 20: "So far, I have not heard another competitor in my chain, which played so close to the (dcs)Verdi/Delius-combo. The RT 20 is awarded second place." Another advantage is that the Lexicon is cheaper than both the Ayre and the Esoteric.