ESOTERIC X-03 VS. AYRE C5XE

I have auditioned Esoteric X-03SE side by side with Ayre C5XE. for me, Esoteric aced it. It has sweet extended highs; realistics voices; neutral midrange and tuneful but powerful bass. It simply deals with musically. It also digs details but never sounded harsh nor bright.

Right now, I owned Esoteric X-03SE for more than a month.
This might be my final upgrade on the source.

Anyway, do not take my words for it, Still try to audition for yourself.

B.rgds,
eddy

Kjl, another player you might want to consider is Lexicon´s new RT 20 CD/SACD-player. In Germany, two magazines tested the unit to sound as good, or even slightly better, than the Ayre and the Esoteric. Reinhold Martin of HiFi&Records, who owns the super-expensive, three-piece-dcs-CD/SACD-combo, tested both the Esoteric, and then the Lexicon, against it. His verdict about the RT 20: "So far, I have not heard another competitor in my chain, which played so close to the (dcs)Verdi/Delius-combo. The RT 20 is awarded second place." Another advantage is that the Lexicon is cheaper than both the Ayre and the Esoteric.

Which Teac Esoteric model did Mr. martin compare to the DCS stack?

Sorry, I thought that was obvious - it was the X-03.

Before purchasing my X03 I asked a very respected designer in the busines his opinion.He said the Lexicon was the best. But he had concerns about build quality and the dependability of a small company.