Audio Aero Capitole Classic vs. Ayon CD-2

Hi,
I've lived more than one year with the Audio Aero Capitole Classic that gave me great moments of listening.
Many qualities belong to this component: smoothness, detailed sound, quite large scenery, airy and a certain depth.
One evening, a friend of mine brought to me his new Ayon CD-2. We did a A+B test. It was not necessary to listen to a long time to note a higher level of listening with
the Ayon CD player. You find in this last one all the
qualities of the French CD player but improved in the Austrian CD player. Also, one great quality of the CD-2,
you find only on very expensive CD players, is the repro-
duction in really analogical sound, very close to a good
turntable. You feel you're more involved in the music; you forget the machine or the electronics. The colours of
each instruments or voices appear in great clarity and the
smoothness of reproduction permits long hours of listening
without fatigue. In few words, I can say the Ayon CD-2 offers many qualities that demanding audiophiles require.
A great winner. I'm very happy to have discovered this Austrian company that deserves to be more known in America.
Michka

I recently had an extended audition in my system with the AA Capitole SE. In my system, the music imaged forward, and had a very lively energy that was great with rock music.

Unfortunately, the sound was a bit hyperdynamic, forward, and a bit tipped upward in the upper midrange. I realize this isn't the conventional sound for AA, but this is how it came out in my Ayre/JM Lab Utopia system. It's ineresting that a few other posters have also noticed this in the SE.

YMMV.

I have compared these two products side-by-side in a tube integrated based system with Gemme Audio Katana and LeHave Audio Angelus speakers. The Audio Aero is good without question, yet the Ayon CD2 wins out significantly on facilities, overall presentation of sonics and most importantly, PRICE ! Some of the well reviewed players are gonna need a re-design to meet the Ayons performance ans sonics at $5500 USD retail

Well I've heard the Ayon CD-2 as well. Not the Audio Aero but some other very fine players and I thought the Ayon was very good. The built in "pre" is also a bonus.

I've not listened to the Audio Aero, but I recently purchased the Ayon CD2, and I can say is WOW! It's like the musicians are right in the room with you. It's just a great piece of equipment, built like a tank, too.

One thing- if you want a tube CD player to do some tube rolling, don't get the Ayon. They use proprietary tubes, and tube rolling is NOT recommended.