Upgraded Ayre CX-7e to a CX-7e mp: Expect What?


I had my Ayre CX-7e upgraded to an Ayre CX-7e MP. The upgrade cost $250.00 plus about $30 shipping to the Ayre facilities. I finally decided to have the upgrade done, based on the chronology of Ayre's in house upgrades reported in Stereophile. The final upgrade(MP) review was done by Robert Deutsch in (Vol35 NO 4 WWW).

He concisely spelled out the improvements in sound. Obviously, results will vary from system to system based on the interaction of components. Therefore, can I get some feedback from owners of the Ayre CX-7e's who also got the MP upgrades done

What improvements in sound quality improvements should I "expect" to hear, despite differences from system to system??.

For the record, before the upgrade, I used a Panacea AC 14SE PC and an older Nordost Red Dawn IC from 3 series ago, going into a Rogue Sphinx integrated. It sounded very good. However, there was a short transition period from a Shunyata Diamondback power cord. I threw in the Shunyata PC with my previous player because the female IEC was a cheap plastic connector and would not stay in place. Though I think the Panacea is better made, however, it is just OK for the Ayre. It seemed to just make the playback sound louder, and not necessarily better.

Responders may want to recommend a better PC (ad possibly IC) for this player based on their own experience with the Ayre CX7eMP. Thanks to all who reply!!
sunnyjim

Showing 1 response by jafant

Jim-

that Stereophile article is dead-on, in terms of what to expect out of the upgrade. Of course, it is going to "jive" better in an all-Ayre system. This is where I auditioned the player earlier this year.

As always, most importantly- do not forget cabling!
Keep me posted and Happy Listening!