Each one of these units has its supporters; they're all excellent (in my experience with the Audio Logic and Audio Meca), or reputed to be excellent, performers. The advantage to a DAC like the Audio Logic vs. a one box player will be its no-compromise power supplies, which would help in reproduction of complex passages, but then you still have to deal with the added signal path between the transport and the DAC, where the one-box players have an advantage. I will note that each of the units you mention is a "musical" rather than "analytical" unit; I think you're on the right path going that way. FWIW, I find the Audio Logic to be a better performer in all areas than the Audio Mecas I've heard, but not by a huge margin; also, a friend of mine recently modded an Audio Meca CDP (one of the pricier ones) and found it very good in its stock form, but excellent when he replaced some relatively cheap op-amps he found inside.
I agree with Mejames that the Cary, as good a CDP as it is, is likely the cause of your unrest, and that the units you mention will result in a sonic improvement. Each is sufficiently different from the other, though, that it would be worthwhile for you to hear some of them before making a choice, if you possibly can. Good luck!
I agree with Mejames that the Cary, as good a CDP as it is, is likely the cause of your unrest, and that the units you mention will result in a sonic improvement. Each is sufficiently different from the other, though, that it would be worthwhile for you to hear some of them before making a choice, if you possibly can. Good luck!