Ayre C5xe or APL 3910 ?

Hi Alex, nice too see you post on this thread. Any chance of hearing your Denon in the NY area?

Puremusic, thanks for the info. So far it seems those who've heard both APL and Ayre units prefer the APL by a wide margin.

So, Alex - let me see if I get this right. You are claiming your modded Denon is better than the Ayre player because:

1. Some people compared a modified Marantz against your modified Denon and liked your player better.

2. At a later date some other person compared a modified Marantz against an Ayre player and liked the Marantz player better.

3. This somehow demonstrates that your player is better than the Ayre, despite the fact that there was no head-to-head comparison of any kind.

Have I got this right?

Rex, please don't get me wrong, I am not claiming anything. I am just reporting the observation of 8 people who heard the RAM Marantz, the Ayre and my Denon (with the older Crystal DACs).

As I mentioned, the main shootout was between the RAM and my Denon. After the blind test, more local audiophiles showed up and we all had a good time talking and comparing notes. Two of them (one was Ayre distributor) brought players. We heard highly modded Sony 777ES by Richard Kern and the latest and greatest Ayre Universal machine. We alternated many times between the Sony, Marantz, Ayre and my Denon. It all took place the same day at the same event.

At that time and in that system the Ayre sounded really good. It is a very nice player that I thought did very well for a stock, production machine, but even the RAM Marantz was superior to it.

That is all.

Regards,
Alex

Alex, my apologies for confusing post-Soviet Cyrillic beach-house sensibilities with neo-capitalist aspirations. I have been to Varna and the east bay as well. When Mexico completes its reconversion we'll both be living in "Casas". You are obviously amusingly intelligent and electronically glib. Who can fault that in AmeriKa?
I have a prolem with "Mods". Brilliant as they are they have not sustained themselves. Let's see if you and AYRE are head to head 2 years from now. Or if you are still in existence. Or if your kashta is in Montecito or Escondido.
No offense of course.

Khrys, no offence taken! When you were around Zlatni Piasatsi (golden sands), Nesebar, Slanchev Briag (sunny beach), Albena?...tell me more. I've never had the time to go back and enjoy all that for the last 12 years - been too busy staying in existence. :-) My brother was there few months ago and said it's to die for. He said the East Coast looks like small Las Vegas. Well, may be some day I will be able to visit.

I'd understand your concerns about "modded" units, but you are in the same gamble with "un-modded" products too. For example, I have a friend who bought a Plasma TV from the CES two years ago. The TV is dead and the company is non-existent. He has to trash it because there is not even a Service Manual for it. Big companies like Marantz, Musical Fidelity, Krell, EMM Labs were telling their customers "NO CAN DO" because Philips left them "dead in the watter" with their first generation SACD transport as found in SACD1000. Hey, SALEEN started as a modder before introducing that $220K car with the Brit V8 they have. :-) Want more? :-)

One thing I agree - the 6.7L V12 BRABUS is OUT OF THIS WORLD, but I'd still go for MTM Audi S8. :-) The rumor is that the new S8 will come with twin turbo 6L Lambourgini engine that is almost 700hp. They were trying to put it in the new RS6 but it didn't fit. :-(

I wish you were close by so you can test drive the "Denon". :-)

Best!