The Oppo is only a a "no brainer" if analog sound is not your concern. If it is and you have the budget, then the Oppo is probably way down the list, even in SE guise. The Ayre will likely be the highest performing but the Denon is getting good reviews as well at half the price of the Ayre. You could also consider the NuForce Oppo player or getting the Oppo and having it modded by one of the known modders (e.g., Modwright, etc.)
