Ayon CD2 is AMAZING

My Ayon CD2 is a good player but can sound bright and forward on occasion and this is with tube and biopolar equipment. I tried the EE Dac with silver star fuses, power cords and Vintage Mullards but it shrunk the soundstage and I thought the CD2 was better in my system.

The Berkeley blows the CD2 out of the water, you would think the Berkeley was a tube unit if you had to listen blindly. Better soundstage, imaging and cues easily heard.
I thought about the CD5s but decided to go with a better sound, a Berkeley Alpha Dac.

Hi Wig, that's interesting. I'm not surprised you found such a wide difference with the Berkeley dac. Re: the CD-5s, there is a wide performance gap between the CD-2 & 5s. The CD-5s is built around a full Skylla 2 dac and features higher grade caps, an extra power supply with full "bridge" tube rectification and is a higher end proposition overall. Besides, there are ways to improve the player significantly without dropping another $5k on a dac ;) Consider that the CD-5/5s uses 4 x NOS OPA627AP op amps. These were the best op amps 20 years ago, but are only midrange op amps today...and the signal is passing through those things. Also, better output tubes can be sourced. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

Just amazing that anyone would think that a Berkeley Alpha DAC is better than a CD-5s ! There must be something else going on in their system. Same folks that touted the incredible sound of the eastern electric minimax and then said, no not really after all the minimax had a shrunk soundstage - now I found another better option, the berkely. pinheads.....

Jimphd14,
Wig prefers the Berkeley DAC to the Ayon CD2 in his system after comparing both, why is that so hard to except? You would prefer otherwise, that`s your call to make. You seem to be personally offended.

Jim
In his subjective opinion he likes the Berkley better than his Ayon cd2.How does that make him a "pinhead"?
What is the title of the book you co-authored, a book regarding the " mental health status of Canadians" as you previously claimed( in a now deleted thread).
I am dying to know the exact title that I may read it.