Esoteric SA-10 or Ayre CX-7e: Too close to call??

Sunnyjim asked a valid question about comparing Ayre to Esoteric and I believe we should answer his question. It makes no difference to me how many questions he asks as long as it helps him get closer to making a decision. His equipment choices are limited since he lives in Honolulu and he has a limited number of retailers to select from. Many people are asking questions on Audiogon to help them get closer to the right decision for them.

I own the Ayre CX-7e MP CD player and like it very much. I experimented once with the Ayre QB-9 USB DAC. At first, I was impressed with the way it sounded. I used the MAC Book Pro computer with 4 GB RAM and the 120GB solid state drive. I used the Seaport Free Agent Go Pro 500GB external hard drive to store my music files.

After many months of listening, I decided I did not like it the way it sounded in my system. In addition, there were too many boxes and too many wires in my living room. I sold everything and returned to my Ayre CX-7e MP CD player. I never looked back and like my CX-7e MP CD player very much.

For me, I liked the sound coming from the Ayre CX-7e MP better than the sound coming from the MAC computer and the Ayre QB-9 DAC. It felt more natural and clearer than the computer and DAC did. I do not know how the Ayre sounds compared to the Esoteric but I like my Ayre very much. My Ayre CX-7eMP is running balanced into my integrated amplifier. I hope this helps.

Foster 9 post above is absolutely correct. You can ask 100 people for their opinion on a component but you will never know how it sounds until you listen to it in your system and listening space. While it is reassuring to hear positive comments from others, the real test is if you like it in your environment. Unfortunately, there are no short cuts to determine the impact of a new component in your system until you listen in your system. Hopefully you can find a retailer that will allow you to return the component if you do not like it. I know that many people buy used, listen and sell again if they do not like it.

If you cannot do this, you have a problem. You can ask for the opinion of others but the answers you receive may, or may not, mean the piece is for you. My only recommendation is to find a retailer you trust and, hopefully, he can help guide you to make the right decision for your system. I use this approach and it generally works. Yes, I have made costly mistake so I correct the mistake and move on with this crazy hobby..