Cary CD-500 vrs used Esoteric X-05

Xenaudio,

Thanks for your input. Never thought of the Ayre.
All the best...

I heard the 500 and thought it was one of the better sounding players for the money. Also, I like the idea of getting something made in the US, england, Canada ect. I've always felt that there is just something missing from the Asian products. That said, I am biased towards Ayre products. Theres nothing quite like them. If I were you, I would listen to some of these products first, but for me, I like the 7 series Ayre for CD only. It has a rightness to it that the 5 doesn't lack, but it is just a little off; and it costs half the price. You can easily make it your last CD player.