First off I sell high end audio in Michigan and go to CES every January to hear what's new. I owned the Esoteric DV-50S briefly and found it to be dry and "hi-fi" sounding yet it was better than most things I'd heard up to that point and at a reasonable price. The $20-40k digital systems I've heard offer very small improvements but are a big rip-off.
Fortunately I was able to hear one of the APL units at last years CES and decided I needed one. I ordered the 3910 that I'd heard at the show but by the time I received it several significant upgrades had been added.
I'll cut to the chase and tell you it is by far the best digital I've heard. On red book cd's it doesn't even sound like digital. It's like really good analog without the ticks and pops but better in many ways.
After I e-mailed Alex to tell him how happy I was with my new player he informed me that he had just received some new dac's that are pop in replacements for the ones in mine and that as good as my sound is "the new dac's are so good it's scary." I'll be sending mine back for a quick upgrade soon but the funny thing is the sound is so good right now I really can't imagine how it can be improved.
I wouldn't waste my time worrying about what else might be out there. After many years of searching for a player that doesn't have the usual digital grain and edginess to the sound my search is over. Alex's player is so good I won't waste words trying to describe it other than to say it absolutely sounds "real."
Happy hunting,
Bob Fogel
Arthur's Audio
Orchard Lake, MI
Fortunately I was able to hear one of the APL units at last years CES and decided I needed one. I ordered the 3910 that I'd heard at the show but by the time I received it several significant upgrades had been added.
I'll cut to the chase and tell you it is by far the best digital I've heard. On red book cd's it doesn't even sound like digital. It's like really good analog without the ticks and pops but better in many ways.
After I e-mailed Alex to tell him how happy I was with my new player he informed me that he had just received some new dac's that are pop in replacements for the ones in mine and that as good as my sound is "the new dac's are so good it's scary." I'll be sending mine back for a quick upgrade soon but the funny thing is the sound is so good right now I really can't imagine how it can be improved.
I wouldn't waste my time worrying about what else might be out there. After many years of searching for a player that doesn't have the usual digital grain and edginess to the sound my search is over. Alex's player is so good I won't waste words trying to describe it other than to say it absolutely sounds "real."
Happy hunting,
Bob Fogel
Arthur's Audio
Orchard Lake, MI