Ayre C 5xe Universal vs. Cary 306 SACD

Kalan,

To further build on your last repsonse I just received the evolution version of the CX-7 which replaced the non evolution unit. There is a noticable jump in improvement especially in the blackness of the background....if the C-5xe betters rebook by the same amount of improvement that the evolution version provided over the non evolution CX-7, I'll begin saving today!

I had a friend bring over a new Ayre C-5x that I was able to compare versus my Ayre CX-7 evolution model and it is virtually impossible to explain the amount of improvement I heard on the Redbook playback. It certainly sounded as if I had significantly upgraded my pre-amp and amplifier. Soundstage was deeper and fuller sounding and the voicing took on a lifelike realism that equaled what I heard before only in SACD playback. Track after track had me involuntarily tapping my foot along with the music and the emotional response. This was easily the most significant jump in performance that I had ever heard in my system. I have not heard the Cary but my bet says that if JP lets one of these players go the Ayre will be staying put. If I had an extra 3,500, (I don't) I'd sell my Ayre and spring for the C5 in a heartbeat. I am still shaking my head at the Redbook difference, and the SACD's that I did hear left me believing that SACD had now reached playback previously reserved for high end vinyl setups. Associated equipment was the Ayre V-1xe amplifier, Aesthetix Calypso pre-amp and Aerial 10-T speakers.

I'd agree that "best" may be a bit of a reach however it is the "best" I have heard that I can reasonably aspire to someday own. Like I said earlier it was the best my system had ever sounded when the C5 was put into the mix last weekend. The fact that it was so much beyond the C7Xe which is a very well respected CD player in its own right and one which I'll have until a C5 shows up for $3,900. I'm reasonably certain that it is likely the best I can find for a $3,900 investment. This all said everything in this price range is often different more so than better...a couple of buddies of mine were over and we were comparing the Aesthetix Calypso to the Pass X1. Was one better than the other? The two buddies preferred the Pass, I preferred the Calypso but the point is I certainly would not call one better than the other. As with the C5 both of these preamps are at the upper limit of my spending threshold. It would still be nice to get some direct comparisons to the Ayre & the Cary which is where this thread started.