Ayre C 5xe Universal vs. Cary 306 SACD

I used to own the Ayre and now I own the Cary. I think they're about equal on redbook cds, the Ayre having more detail and the Cary more body and weight. The Cary has a warm presentation that draws you into the music while the Ayre is all about truthfulness. It really is all about one's preference. I definitely enjoy sacds more on the Cary; I didn't like the lowered analog output level on sacds with the Ayre.

joey, with your ML Summits, I would go for the Cary. I would be concerend that the Ayre combined with the Summits would be too much of a good thing. The sound may be too clear and detailed to the point of sounding harsh. Let me know what you decide...

Joey_v, I am also interested in your decision. Please keep us posted. There is no replacement to hearing both units, side-by-side, in your own system.

I would agree 100% with Robal. My experiences were exactly the same as his. I really like the Cary 306, its much more enjoyable to listen to compared to the Ayre.
Mike

Still mulling over the possibilities here. Just got done auditioning a PS Audio Digital Link III DAC and the difference when going via digital out from the Squeezebox3 was very apparent. If this DAC is putting out this kind of music in my system, I can only imagine what the Cary 306SACD would do.

Joey