AudioMeca vs. AudioAero vs. Electrocompaniet

Top Ten Players? This is tough because my system changed so much between listenings that it's hard to say what the exact order should be.

Clearly the three best players are listed below - but under that the order is a little more jumbled based entirely on my system at the time of auditioning. For many of those players listed, I didn't spend the COUNTLESS hours testing interconnects and power cords to tune/tweak to my tastes.

- Lin CD12

- Audio Aero Capitole & Audio Meca Mephisto (tie)

!-- This is where the order starts to get a bit funky ---!

- Accuphase DP75v
- Wadia 860 and 861
- Electrocompaniet EMC-1 Mk II
- Marantz SA-1
- Cary 306/200
- Electrocompaniet EMC-1 Mk I
- Meridian 508.24
- Resolution Audio CD55

Bryan-I have heard most all of the players on your list and I would have to agree with you!! You have been a fountain of information through out this thread and many others(not to mention private emails!), a truly class act audiophile!

I realize this may be a bit off topic if so I apologize. When comparing these different components there is another aspect to consider. One thing I have found with optimizing the sound of the mephisto transport is isolation. I have a mephisto II with ekianthus DAC and while I found it the most musical I had heard I had not compared it to a lot (wadia and linn ikemi). What I did compare it to was the live music which I listen to a lot, our piano and my turntable and found I did find the cd wanting. Bryan has been very helpful with suggestions on powercords and I am in the process of looking at that. I also am trying new interconnects and digital cable but the verdict is out till the cables burn in but in the meantime I have had a chance to alter the support. My transport sits on a very heavy stand of mdf with sandfilled plinthes sitting on carbon blocks and I thought that was all I needed. A friend lent me darumas and the results were dramatic. The soundstage opened up amazingly. The midrange and high end were more transparent and the bass was more defined. The music breathed a lot more. In short it was way closer to what I have heard in live music and not just with my 'test' discs. The results were so remarkable my wife, who thinks I'm nuts sometimes, commented on the change very positively. I have now got the player on symposium rollerblocks and shelf and the results are just as good if not better, though rollerblocks alone did not do it. So just a thought when you are looking at digital do not forget the support or isolation. Hope this is not too off topic but all three are great players I understand, I think this might help a lot to people trying them out.

Gajgmusic I agree with you about isolation and its importance however I am curious why you would buy a Mephisto II CD player AND a Enkianthus DAC. The Mephisto II and the Enkianthus share the same DAC.

The Mephisto II comes as a transport only as well.