Digital Connundrum - Levinson? Audio Aero?

macallan25 - what did you end up buying?

very interesting. I suspect that CDP is not the weak link. in fact, there are no serious weak links in my system {why do we always feel the need to mess with success?}, no, just areas that can be improved in one way or another. I have heard from two others (both former 390S owners) that they regretted selling theirs (one got and quickly sold a Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista SACD player befor emoving on to Meitner, the other bought and resold Wadia separates).

Of course this is all anecdotal, and everyting is so system dependent, so who can say for sure.

What I'd really like to hear is anyone who had each the AA Capitole and the 390S in their homes! For now, i may sit put, maybe save up for the Reimyo (I also really prefer single-box players to separates).

alas, now i know why the usually decisive audionut is being wishy washy on this - I HAVE NO TUNES AND AM GOING NUTS. I sent my Berning in for the wiring upgrade 10 days ago, and so im a nutjob drooling over gear here all the time!

It's really pretty sad. Me shopping for major component changes now (while the rig is down), is like going food shopping at a super high-end gourmet store when you're really famished - you're bound to spend foolishly and end up feeling sick about it in the end...

well, call me crazy, impulsive (maybe even foolish), but I did it. I traded in the ML 390S for an "Audio Aero Capitole MK II Special Edition." Time will tell, but im looking forward to this change.

Bottom line is I got a really really good price on a new one, and a very nice trade allowance, so im kind of protected in case I decide I dont want it. More to come.....

The Audio Aero Cpitole MK II, SE version is here. still breaking in, which Im told the SE version takes many many hours to do.

Already it sounds MUCH MUCH MUCH more natural than the fully broken in Levinson. Less forward with a deeper soundstage, though perhaps less wide. Less Hi-fi gimmeckry wherin notes on the ML occasionally sounded so solid because they were a bit "etched," on the AA, each note just plum sounds "right," definitely less exciting but more believable and ultimately far less fatiguing. I've been tuning my room, spending $$$ on cables, rolling tubes on my preamp and amp like a mofo to try to eliminate a residual bite from tmy system, and this CDP was what i needed all along. Should have done this a long time ago!

I will be able to say more once fully broken in, but right off the bat, I made a wise decision here. Oh what fun!

uhhhhhhhh, I sold my AA months ago and replaced it with the Reimyo, whic easily, and I mean "hands-down" outperformed the AA, in my system with my ears; you're experience might have been different, of course.

I would agree all digital front end is finicky with regard to isolation (i used the Harmonic Resolution Systems (HRS) M3, and it made a hige difference. Power conditioning by isoclean. Glad you love your AA SE as much as you do, it is an awesome player, no doubt!