Ayre C-5xe vs. Levinson 390S

sirspeedy: you are totally right. there is a lot of good "vintage" stuff around nobody talks about. the 390s for sure belongs to this rare species whereas I must admit that a new 390s is not a good value, a used one will be very hard to beat - valuewise.

The problem with the Levinson 390-s is really the problem with many audio hobbyists.It has been aroun awhile,and we all love the LATEST stuff.Also it is too well priced,so doesn't carry the aura of some other,less well designed stuff.It happens to be a fabulous player,that seems to be of Heirloom build quality,and is damn good sounding.NOT enough for some types.

hi. can only comment on the CX-7 and on the 390s. the CX-7 is very good for the money, the 390s is better but not as good as my Audio Aero Capitole MK II.

I just sold my 390S......but only 'cause I bought the 306/31.5 combo. IMHO, the 390S is the best single-box player I've heard. Take this with a grain of salt however as I like the Levinson house sound.

Best,

Paul :-)

I don't have a basis for comparison, but I wouldn't trade my 390S for anything short of a dCS P8i or the stack.