I currently own the Classe CDP 102. It replaced my Arcam Alpha 9 (which I had in my system until 1/2007). The player is very detailed, but not clinical. It is very musical and allows you to hear the layers of music on the disc. You can here the venue and the emotion of the artist when listening to vocals. When my non-audiophile friends visit, they even hear the difference. This player seems to make everyone want to sing along with the CD. It has an involving sound. I love music (all types) and I have been listening to my system everyday since I purchased the CDP 102
While there are several excellent $3K+ players (Ayre, Esoteric, Linn, Meridian) out there, this was the only player that provided the sound and video versatility at the price i was willing to pay. Classe' also provides firmware updates at their site to keep the player loaded with the latest operating software. This player retails for $4K, but can be found for around $3K (sometimes less on this site).
While there are several excellent $3K+ players (Ayre, Esoteric, Linn, Meridian) out there, this was the only player that provided the sound and video versatility at the price i was willing to pay. Classe' also provides firmware updates at their site to keep the player loaded with the latest operating software. This player retails for $4K, but can be found for around $3K (sometimes less on this site).