Ayon Audio CD-5 versus CD-5s

Thanks DH, as long as you accept the PBD is cold sounding (like DCS) and you either like that kind of sound, or have tubes elsewhere in your system, then it could be a happy marriage. A PBD deck in my system would definitely tip the balance too close to neutral/cool. Tonal balance & musicality are more important considerations to me than SACD per say. With that said, I am contemplating moving to a seperate Ayon preamp & high end SACD player in the next 15 monthts or so (probably Accuphase), but for now, i'm wrapped with my modded CD-5s.

Anyone who characterizes the Playback Design player as cold or amusical is using the wrong power cords and/or wrong interconnects. Yes, having tubes in the chain is helpful, but that's generally true for all systems. The PBD is the best digital I've heard.....and musicality with proper tone and weight are my foremost requirements.

The dCS Puccini I heard didn't impress me when it was going head to head against the XDS1.

But the MPS5 in my own system definitely didn't sound cold to me. I will finally get the chance to put the XDS1 in my main system this Christmas ;) Will post impressions then.

Hi Lula, I was probably being a bit unkind to the MPS-5. I have only heard that player in a friend's system and have not done a direct a/b comparison. Keep in mind my description of the MPS-5 as "cold" is in comparison to my Ayon CD-5s & Accuphase players which i'm familiar with. FWIW, I thought the PBD sounded very analogue, smooth & easy to listen to. Resolution was excellent. Ok, the PBD is the best cd player to your ears and preferances. At the end of the day, I think if you put 5 audiophiles in a room and lined up my modded CD-5s, an MPS-5 & DP-700, you'd get 5 different opinions. They are all great players.

To get full runin on the cd-5 s it will take a solid 300hrs .i have many years with big capacitors especially Munorf Silver oil, the unit will go through several changes ,and refinement just gets better.