Cd Player shootout ; which is the best of the best

Jmr,
I too have the Parsifal Encores (aren't they great?!), and am REALLY pleased with my EMC-1 MkII up front, running balanced into Aleph P and 2 monos. Certainly NOT too bright, and with an effortless dynamisn even at lower gain settings! At first I thought that maybe the top octave was soft, but readily learned that it's the LACK of digital artifact and noise that makes it so damned natural and relaxed. Simply NO glare or treble edginess. Really, it makes me wonder what the fuss is all about with SACD....

I DID find that Harm Tech Pro Silway MkII and Nordost Red Dawn ICs were too lean (midrange lacked vividness), and am quite enthused with a Discovery Essence running balanced.
I have a Siltech 48B (auction sloppiness!) coming to compare, but I can't imagine an improvement.

I float the MkII on a Neuance, but am not sure it matters much. The EMC is also a joy to use, despite the bright blue display.
You can get a used MkI around here for $2k, and get the MkII DAC Kit upgrade from a friend of mine in Europe for $600, and have a helluva front end for under $3k.

I understand there's a lot of enthusiasm for the Mephisto and Capitole around here, but I'm done!

I have just purchased the audio aero, though it hasnt been shipped as of yet..I auditioned this superb cd player at a friends house who was deep into analog, and sold them all for this player. his opinion was, you have a cd player, which needs no pre-amp, and he hasnt heard any reason to stick with analog. hear what you like and compare..

I have the 861 with Steve Huntley's PASI. This is a nice outboard compromise from his internal modifications. If cost is no issue, you can go internal. Otherwise, you might want to try the PASI. It sounds great. It leaves all of the detail of the Wadia, but removes any harshness and makes the player far less fatiguing.

In a month from now I will be able to compare my Electrocompaniet MK II against the new AudioMeca Mephisto and I plaqn to keep the better unit.
The Electrocompaniet is awesome, but my dealer told me that he is no match for the Audiomeca.

I just had the Mephisto at home this week end for a brief shootout with my 861. It was only two afternoons and one night (8 - 10 hrs. in total), the Mephisto d/a section was not burned in yet since it was being used with a separate d/a due to lack of a pre available. I used it with a Placette pasive volume control. The comparison was not complete apples to apples becuse the vol. control was rca and the interconnects were Cardas Golden Reference, the 861 uses XLO signature xlr interconnects. Despite the short period I had with marvelous unit and the differences in setup I reached certain conclusions which I do'nt think would change but probably be enhanced with an equaling of the conditions.
The Mephisto is a superb music making machine. As compared to the great 861, it's presentation is conclusively more musical,liquid and sweet with at least the same level (if not a bit more) of resolution and detail. By no means a warm, laid back or boring presentation but one smooth, relaxed but very vivid, in other words extremely analog and much closer to live music. The Mephisto clearly dominates the Wadia in the top extreme and the middle, the Wadia on the other hand has a better low end definition and impact. Some of it may be due to the different nature of the cabling used and the lack of burn in time of the Mephisto, I can'nt say. What I do can say is that I know very well the Wadia sound and for years have been a great believer in it's many strenths and yet no matter whith what cables you use them, I have never heard them produce music like the one I heard this week end from the Mephisto.
To what now remains is to hear the Aereo Capitole which I understand has a very similar presentation to that of the Mephisto with certain advantages in cost and in flexibility. I should be doing that over the next weeks and what I need to hear is if it can live to the high standards set by the Mephisto. The other unit under consideration, the Electrocompaniet EMC II I have'nt been able to get access to and based on the feedback received appears to be an outstanding unit, maybe the best overall value considering it's cost, but maybe a notch below this other two very fine units, althou a couple of persons have preffered the EMC over the Mephisto, a matter of taste perhaps?. I do hope I can get my hands on one before the shoot out is over. Will keep you posted. Thanks.