Which is the best CD-Player up to $ 10k ?


I´m looking for a very good cd-player in the price range up to 10k to be paired with my new Ayon Audio Sunfire single ended tube integrated.

On my short list are Wadia 581SE, Audio Research CD-7, Ayre C-5xe, Esoteric X-01 Ltd. and Audio Aero Prestige SE

Main music preference is classical music, opera, and electronic music.

Speakers are Ayon Audio with ceramic drivers.

Cabelling is all Shunyata Research (but is planned to be exchanged with either Virtual Dynamics or Stealth Audio)

Any input regarding these units is highly appreciated. Thanks fellows !
frankpiet
Ayre C5Xe hands down. Save a ton in comparison to the others listed and give up nothing. Take the $ saved and buy a TON of Orchestral SACDs and smile!
Disclaimer - I am an Ayon dealer, but have no skin in the game selling to Germany.

Just curious, have you listened to the Ayon CD1. We think that it is remarkable, at any price and against anything mentioned here.
For me, it would be the Audio Aero Prestige, plays SACD's and you don't need a preamplifier. The most natural, analogue sounding digital audio source I have heard. I have been to numerous audio shows and I have never heard any system with an Audio Aero source sound anything but excellent. That's what I have in my system presently.
For classical music, I strongly recommend you try to audition the EMM CDSA. I A-B'ed it against the Linn CD12 (which I owned at the time), and pretty much wrote a check that day. It does amazing things with redbook CD, and is highly regarded for it's SACD, of course. It does an amazing job of clarifying orchestral textures.

I did audition the Ayre against my Linn as well (some months previously). I know some people like it, as noted above. It didn't work for me. I recall thinking it was too bright, too "hi-fi," but otherwise, can't recall much about it.

I also have a Wadia 860 modified by Great Northern Sound here in the States. I was ambivalent about it in stock form...it tended to empasize detail too much for my taste much of the time (i.e., again, too bright), but the upgraded version is much better, and I still use it for certain things that sound less satisfying on the EMM. (The modified version has a lot of presence and a lot of bottom, and does certain things very well.) I don't know if the 581 is the same way, but I would proceed with caution. The 860 in stock form could be fatiguing (to me).