You are talking about a $2,000 DAC (Transporter) versus a $6,000 disc player, and an Ayre at that. The Ayre is going to be better. The DAC is better. The outputs are better.
The Transporter is not something you trade in for a disc player. The Transporter has the potential to be a true end-game device because once you are done with the DAC and analog portions and are ready to upgrade, the Transporter has almost limitless potential when paired with a proper DAC like a dCS, Esoteric, or similar device. The Transporter, as a pure Transport, is an extremely formidable and cost effective device.
Yes the Ayre sounds better but it is also utterly obsolete. It has no digital input! Hard drive based storage and error correction and the ability to browse your library by remote should now be baseline features of all non SACD based audiophile systems. At the very least, any high-end disc player should accept a digital coax input from a music server.
If I were you, I would enjoy the Transporter for what it is now and save up for a real reference outboard DAC to pair it with. The end result will be a lot better than the Ayre. I dumped a $5,000 Goldmund transport for a $300 Squeezebox and got equally good if not better results with my dCS Delius and Purcell upsampler. I am getting even better results now that I am playing around with EAC and error correction.
Don't spend your money on disc players if you already have a Transporter. If you want something better, than just make the Transporter a dedicated Transport and get a better DAC.
I will consider Ayre disc players again when they accept external digital sources.
The Transporter is not something you trade in for a disc player. The Transporter has the potential to be a true end-game device because once you are done with the DAC and analog portions and are ready to upgrade, the Transporter has almost limitless potential when paired with a proper DAC like a dCS, Esoteric, or similar device. The Transporter, as a pure Transport, is an extremely formidable and cost effective device.
Yes the Ayre sounds better but it is also utterly obsolete. It has no digital input! Hard drive based storage and error correction and the ability to browse your library by remote should now be baseline features of all non SACD based audiophile systems. At the very least, any high-end disc player should accept a digital coax input from a music server.
If I were you, I would enjoy the Transporter for what it is now and save up for a real reference outboard DAC to pair it with. The end result will be a lot better than the Ayre. I dumped a $5,000 Goldmund transport for a $300 Squeezebox and got equally good if not better results with my dCS Delius and Purcell upsampler. I am getting even better results now that I am playing around with EAC and error correction.
Don't spend your money on disc players if you already have a Transporter. If you want something better, than just make the Transporter a dedicated Transport and get a better DAC.
I will consider Ayre disc players again when they accept external digital sources.