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Ayre Cx-7e MP or Marantz SA-11s2 SACD - anyone?


I’m upgrading my source but don’t want to invest too much in a CD/SACD player since I don’t have a lot of collections of CDs (about 100 CDs) and no SACDs yet. BTW, I intend to get into analog/LP in the future. Now I’m looking at two similarly priced CD/SACD players:

Ayre Cx-7eMP CD player

Marantz SA-11s2 CD/SACD player

What would you choose and why? FYI, the rest of my setup consists of: Ayre K-1xe pre-amp, Pass Labs XA30.5 Class A power amp and Harbeth C7-3ES speakers.

I’m looking for a solid-built, high-quality player which is musical, involving, dynamic with speed, high resolution and good transparency yet non-fatigue. Not sure if I asked for too much at this price range.

Thanks for your feedback.
r0817
zd542
5,339 posts
 
For me, the Ayre is the one I would go with. Its a much better match for your equipment. You already have an Ayre preamp. Also, getting the Cx-7 will make all of your components 0 feedback and fully balanced. That's when you really notice the difference those features bring. The build quality is as good as anything else and Ayre offers regular upgrades. You just can't go wrong with it.
jafant's avatar
jafant
19,602 posts
 
Keep us posted on which spinner you buy R0817.
fingerpaws
51 posts
 
I have an Ayre 5exMP that just got the MP upgrade. It sounds amazing, but the thing I like best is it will play anything except a Blu-ray. DVD-A, SACD, standard DVD sound only, and it is a solid bit of kit. I believe Marantz is good, but I feel Ayre is a step up from there. While there some argument as to which Ayre is better, I cannot imagine hearing something much better than this unit. I had a Cambridge Audio CD player, 840W, and I thought it was great, now I couldn't stand to hear it. These super discs really do sound great, and I can easily hear the improvements compared with standard ones. Either way, you will discover a new level of delight! I also support the other comment, and one more thing. You can call Ayre and speak to people and set up repairs if needed. Who will you turn to if the Marantz needs help?
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