Ayre 5ce

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
I think that is the top of the line cd player. I am looking for a player in that range. Does anyone own or heard it? I want your opinion. Highly rated by stereophile.
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
So what are saying Steve. I should ante up for a Meitner or Playback Designs.
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
Not at all. I really like Ayre and was trying to make you laugh


True name of the player C-5xeMP. Just scanning Class A of the Stereophile April 2010 list of recommended components The price is $1500 for the SonySCD-XA5400ES to $80K for the dcs Scarlarti. The Ayre comes in at $6k. You would think for $80K the Scarlarti could at least use all caps! Now that makes me laugh.:D
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
Two of my favorite local dealers carry Ayre. JS Audio and Gifted Lifter Audio I'm sure at least one has demo. Should make things easy. I purchased my Accuphase from JS Audio.


listener
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
I demoed this player at JS Audio today in Bethesda MD.excellent player. Guess what else I heard?
 
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Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
In evaluating the Ayre (pronounced air)the salesman told me it was milled from a single block of aluminum. The sound was spacious, airy and polite. I'll have to give another listen to see if it can kick ass.
 

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Monkeyboy

New Member
Jun 25, 2010
12
0
0
Northern Virginia
I listened to it two years ago and wound up buying the Linn Adikt instead. The only difference I heard was the bass was better in the Linn. There is someone on another forum in New York that I hope to visit later this year who has one with the MP upgrade and he loves it to death. When I visit him I'm taking my Linn with me and we're going to compare them side by side using the same interconnects and source music. I get the feeling they will sound very much the same. He tells me the bass has been improved with better punch, presence and tonal balance. It should be an interesting comparison. I'll let you know how it goes whenever I'm able to get up there.

I got most of my stuff at The Gifted Listener. Tom Unger was a great help and loved talking about all the great gear he has. If only I could afford the KX-R and MX-R! It sure was fun shopping for all that new equipment. It only took about three weeks of listening tests.
 
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MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
I listened to it two years ago and wound up buying the Linn Adikt instead. The only difference I heard was the bass was better in the Linn. There is someone on another forum in New York that I hope to visit later this year who has one with the MP upgrade and he loves it to death. When I visit him I'm taking my Linn with me and we're going to compare them side by side using the same interconnects and source music. I get the feeling they will sound very much the same. He tells me the bass has been improved with better punch, presence and tonal balance. It should be an interesting comparison. I'll let you know how it goes whenever I'm able to get up there.

I got most of my stuff at The Gifted Listener. Tom Unger was a great help and loved talking about all the great gear he has. If only I could afford the KX-R and MX-R! It sure was fun shopping for all that new equipment. It only took about three weeks of listening tests.

Yes and Tom has been around forever-not a small feat for high-end audio dealers.
 

naturephoto1

Member
May 24, 2010
820
7
16
Breinigsville, PA
www.nelridge.com
Hi Greg,

What kind of discs do you plan to use in the player?

I do not want to get into an argument (as we have on other forums), but at this point for Redbook CDs I am using an upgraded (modified) April Music Stello CDT 100 transport and an upgraded (modified) Lavry DA10 DAC:





My experience is that this combination will far exceed the performance of the Ayre.

If you are at all interested in this combination send me a PM. As I have mentioned, I do not want this to get ugly on this new forum.

Rich
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
Hi Greg,

What kind of discs do you plan to use in the player?

I do not want to get into an argument (as we have on other forums), but at this point for Redbook CDs I am using an upgraded (modified) April Music Stello CDT 100 transport and an upgraded (modified) Lavry DA10 DAC:



My experience is that this combination will far exceed the performance of the Ayre.

If you are at all interested in this combination send me a PM. As I have mentioned, I do not want this to get ugly on this new forum.

Rich

Rich: What's special about that combo design-wise?
 

naturephoto1

Member
May 24, 2010
820
7
16
Breinigsville, PA
www.nelridge.com
Rich: What's special about that combo design-wise?

Hi Miles,

It is not necssarily anything special about the combination design wise. It is just the performance of the modified units together. They perform exceedingly well together with detail, dynamics, soundstage, imaging, voices, and instruments that are really really good.

Rich
 

Gregadd

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
10,517
1,774
1,850
Metro DC
My experience is that this combination will far exceed the performance of the Ayre.

If you are at all interested in this combination send me a PM. As I have mentioned, I do not want this to get ugly on this new forum.

Rich

I thnk the members of this forum can take a punch. If it gets out of hand one of the moderators will call a time out.

Besides, I've been spoiled by Steves'Playback Designs.
 

ulf

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2010
133
20
923
72
Stockholm, Sweden
The Ayre 5xe CPplayer has been my main sorce for 4 years and I recently upgraded it to MPstatus. In my opinion it is one of the best CDP in the world regardless of price. But it needs some tweaks. First placed on a Relaxa magnetic "floating" bench made a big improvment. Second it is sensitive to power cords and really likes the Purist Dominus with Oyadie contacts. With this tweaks my Ayre has beaten in my system the Emmlabs CDSA, Meridian 808i2, AMR CD77 all more expensive. I also had a brief test of the Playback Design CDP in my system and it is a very good CDP indeed but it is twice as expensive as the Ayre. The sound from the Ayre and the Playback Design CDPs players was sligtly different but on the same level. At a used price under 4000usd ifor the Ayre CDP it is hard to beat.
 

MylesBAstor

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
11,236
81
1,725
New York City
The Ayre 5xe CPplayer has been my main sorce for 4 years and I recently upgraded it to MPstatus. In my opinion it is one of the best CDP in the world regardless of price. But it needs some tweaks. First placed on a Relaxa magnetic "floating" bench made a big improvment. Second it is sensitive to power cords and really likes the Purist Dominus with Oyadie contacts. With this tweaks my Ayre has beaten in my system the Emmlabs CDSA, Meridian 808i2, AMR CD77 all more expensive. I also had a brief test of the Playback Design CDP in my system and it is a very good CDP indeed but it is twice as expensive as the Ayre. The sound from the Ayre and the Playback Design CDPs players was sligtly different but on the same level. At a used price under 4000usd ifor the Ayre CDP it is hard to beat.

Well I'd like to see some measurements that prove that the cables affect the sound :)
 

ulf

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2010
133
20
923
72
Stockholm, Sweden
Forgot to mention that the player before Ayre was the the Reimyo CD777. Also a very good CDP but the Ayre was slightly better and played SACD and DVD-A.
And yes power cords are very important, Before the MPupgrade the Electraglide Ultra Kahn II was very good on the CDP. After the upgrade PAD Dominus was better.
 

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