Raysonic 168

hi eric:

i stand by my statements. i did not slam the 168, and yes i prefer a darker sound. this is old news. i also mentioned that the player had 48 hours of play. all statements are factual. when i spoke to you i did not mention my brief experience with this player. and at this point, pending further break in and tube change , i prefer the a5. all facts. what's the problem ?

Mrtennis: By implication, are you saying that you find the MF A5 dark sounding? I am curious, as I have never heard this player referred to as dark, or lacking in detail resolution.

the a5 is not dark sounding in my opinion. it is very balanced in frequency response. it seems puurer sounding than the raysonic. note, the raysonic is not fully broken in and the eh tubes have yet to be replaced.

what impresses me about the a5 is that it doesn't seem to exaggerate any region of the frequency range. in addition since it is close to neutrality, i can "color" the sound with another component to approach the voicing i prefer.

Reb1208, the center tubes have most effect on the RCA's outer tubes on the XLR... As for the 168 vs. the 128...

Fatcataudio, Since you are on here, please give an opinion on the 2 machines?

I honestly feel after seeing some of the pics on the internals side by side that the 168 has found a way to reduce build and parts costs with using no doubt some more current Dac's, but all the analog parts and layout seem "cheaper" for example only because its obvious the Auricaps are used in the new one vs. the Mundorfs in the 128, I know I have used both in other units in the past, not digital components, but none the less heard these caps head to head and always prefered the mundorfs, and they are a bit more money. There are several other things I note that have been done a bit more conventional in the 168 vs the 128, I am not saying this has anything to do with final sound, just an observation.

The 128 losses the HDCD but gets a slightly advanced redbook chip, however this really means nothing today.

And the main advantage for some users is the 168 adds the volume.

So not saying the build or parts in the 168 will make it sound better or worse, but would like your opinion on the actual differences or flavors of the units.

Thanks