Ayre C-5xe-mp v Sony XA5400ES

I have an Oppo 105 in addition to the Sony XA5400ES, Tarp38. Both are connected via analog to a Parasound JC-2 that feeds Proceed HPA amps that drive a pair of KEF Reference 107/2s. The surround channels of the Oppo go directly to the amps.

db

"06-03-14: Rondel
Interesting, I Thought The Sound Of The Sony Was More Musical.No Experience With SACD Between The Two."

Nothing wrong with that. If we all liked the same thing, we would all have the same equipment.

"06-03-14: Tarp38
Look inside the Ayre box, and you'll find an Oppo."

No idea how you would come up with that one unless someone miss-boxed an Oppo.

One of the things that makes the Ayre such a good choice, at least for me, is the analog section. Assuming for a moment that the digital side of the player is same as the Sony or Oppo (which its not), there are very few designers as gifted as Charles Hanson. He's considered to be one of the elite in the industry. That doesn't mean you have to like his products, as we all have different tastes, but I don't see that level of design in the other players mentioned. Also, just to be clear, I'm not putting either the Sony or Oppo down in any way. Both are two of the best players in their price range. I just think that Ayre is a higher level.

IIRC, I read that the mechanicals are Pioneer, and that Ayre has stocked backup units for meeting future service needs.

db

"06-04-14: Dbphd
IIRC, I read that the mechanicals are Pioneer, and that Ayre has stocked backup units for meeting future service needs."

That's true. They do that with all their players. Also, just to note, there are no transports that are made outside of Asia. Every CD/DVD play, regardless of brand or country of origin, has a transport made in Asia. There was only 1 exception that I know of. Linn used to make a Redbook only transport that went in their high end units. I don't know if its still in production.

Not unusual for a company with high end pretensions to rebadge a more plebeian component. Either Stereophile or TAS ran a column about a Lexicon SACD player about which Lexicon claimed that its innards consisted of a highly modified and inproved sounding Oppo. Upon removal of the top, the author discoved a totally unmodified, stock Oppo. The Lexicon was listed at about 2 1/2 times the price of the Oppo. But, of course, pretty boxes always sound better. May be why some high end audio companies put 40% or so of the cost of manufacturing into the faceplate.