Advantages of a tube CD player over an SS player?


Would like to hear some pros/cons about buying a tubed CD player?? Do they generate less digital glare?? and so, offer smoother, more musical playback of "redbook" and SACD CD formats?? Or is there more noise, less detail, and over all transparency???

I ask because my search for a new "high end" CD player has come down to either a (used) Ayre CX7emp2 (latest version) or a used Ayon CD-07
sunnyjim

Showing 3 responses by sunnyjim

Thanks to all who have responded. Every comments is excellent and informative as to the differences addressed in the thread.

Tls49, your point about that...."there is good synergy in the rest of the system" though true will play havoc with any selection I make. As it stands, my system is Acoustic Zen Adagios, a Rogue "Sphinx integrated amp" which so far has been just short of spectacular, and the old reliable Rega Apollo. I am currently using speaker cable that I have concluded is just OK made by a company called Rogue which has NO connection to the electronics brand

I have decided to try out Grover Huffman speaker cable. Overall, the system, even when I was using separates before the purchase of the Rogue integrated amp,LEANS toward the bright side but not that much.... A consequence I believe of room acoustics, the glared playback of the Rega Apollo and just possibly the AZ's Adagios use of a 1.5 inch Round RIBBON tweeter with a Kapton membrane. The amalgram of these factors may be creating a less than smooth top end. Therefore, that is why I considered a tube CD player to (as a few members have said) may take off or smooth out the top-end brightness( which is not intolerable at all). Overall, I am also searching for much greater musicality....this has been the goal all along

However, I always liked the looks and tank-like construction of the Ayre CX-7e mp2.
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One final, but somewhat off issue point, I have noticed that traditional box speakers which received positive comments about their smooth high end usually incorporate SEAS tweeters,or Spectron tweeters (not sure of this name)which are often modified by the manufacturer.

What makes this brand of tweeter so popular with many high-end box speaker manufacturers in the US and Europe???
To Audiolab and Brownsfan, you both make excellent points. BF, what I prefer is as you state so well..... euphonic, or musical. This issue has been bandied about for years, and may have emerged with greater intensity when SS came to dominate the audio market in the late 60's and early 70's. SS was also cheaper to mass produce.

The issue of "euphonic" vs accurate( linear)casts a long shadow on every audio component made, especially speakers. Just because a component measures well, does not mean it should or has to sound good. At the same, what is enjoyable, musical(in the sense of holding the listener's attention) and informative about the music seems to be a reliable, no nonsense means of measuring the quality of the audio experience.
Zd542,, Thank you again for you advice. It always has been helpful. I have considered the Cary CD players. I believe the series are: CD300-200; CD-300-300. I have also e-mailed them about these players, but all have been discontinued. I have read all the reviews on the above two models, and the feature of changing sampling rate seem a bit hokey to me. Though, "some" claim it did make a difference in the sound especially with a variety of CD formats. The upsampling selection can also be made from the remote. However, I will check them out again, but to be honest, I think I am sold on Ayre CX-7emp, but almost none have come up for sale in the last three months. Thanks again, Jim