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Transporter vs Ayre CX-7e

About a month ago, I bought a Logitech Transporter and it was a noticeable improvement over my Music Hall Maverick SACD player (for playing RBCD) so I gave it some thought and ultimately decided to dump all my physical disc players and move toward a media-server based solution with the Transporter as my final digital front-end.

However, I was in the showroom the other day at a local HiFi store and they had an Ayre CX-7e pumping through some decent, but not rediculous equipment. It was going through an Anthem TLP-1 Preamp, feeding an Anthem MCA-20 amp and pushing Paradigm Signature S6 v2 speakers.

I had heard just about all of this equipment before, but the Ayre was new to me and I was in awe over the tonal accuracy of instruments and voice. BUT, it was in a showroom, different equipment than I have, etc, etc, etc.

So my question is, does anyone here have any direct experience comparing a CX-7e with a Transporter? Was what I was hearing in the showroom a product of the showroom acoustics or is the Ayre clearly a better sounding device (when it comes to airiness and tonal accuracy).

I currently have a Marantz AV8003 preamp feeding an Outlaw 750 amp (although looking to replace the amp as mentioned in another recent post) pushing a pair of Focal/JMLabs Electra 1027be's. I'd like to think that my preamp/amp/speakers equal or exceed the quality of what I heard but I can't get the sound from that showroom out of my head.

Maybe I'm just rambling and I've already subconsciously made a decision here, but I figured I'd reach out to see what ye almighty Audiogonners thought.

Thanks in advance,

-Ben
fatgh0st
fatgh0st OP
43 posts
 
Cerrot: Thanks for the detail...very informative. However, my understanding was that the 7 only plays RBCD, not SACD. As such, it would lead me to believe that perhaps you were actually hearing the RBCD layer of the Hybrid SACD on the 7 as opposed to the actual DSD layer (which would explain a difference).

Anyway, I wish I could get an Esoteric of 5e but I think they are both out of my range....although I could possibly stretch :-)....

-Ben
chesebert
38 posts
 
Cerrot is confused on couple things

Ayre CDP are C-5xe (SACD) and C-7xe (CD)

Ayre integrated amp is Ax-7e

More likely than not Cerrot is comparing the SACD layer to the CD layer between the 2 players; and more likely than not Cerrot have not actually compared the C-7xe with transporter head to head. educated guess

Transporter is close to C-7xe when transporter is running 16bit 44khz flac file and C-7xe is reading the physical disk. However, transporter is significantly better than C-7xe when running 24bit 88khz flac file. Is it a fair comparison? no. but does it matter? If I can listen to the 24bit file why would I go for the 16bit version?

Just as there is no way C-7xe can compete with C-5xe when one is running the RB layer and the other is running the SACD layer, so is C-7xe hopelessly trailing transporter when the latter is running flac at 24bit/88khz.
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,606 posts
 
My error. The 7 is cd only, and, yes, I was comparing the sacd to the redbook layer (didn't know until now). My apologies (also on the models - I am referring to the 5 series and the 7 series of the Ayre CD players). I did listen to the transport and the Ayre 7 directly, in the same system. Have a buddy who has both (he agreed with the opinion that the 7 blew the transport away. I listened to the 5 and the 7 and the esoteric DV60 and X03SE for what seemed like a zillion hours so excuse me for that fatal error. (at least, now I know why I couldn't hear the accordian keys with the 7)
wireless200
415 posts
 
Chesebert, where do you get your 25 bit files? I have a transporter as well and I've been looking for some but haven't found anything that I'd download yet.
fatgh0st OP
43 posts
 
Cerrot: No apologies necessary. I'm glad you cleared up the difference a bit for yourself :-)

The fact that you have listened to both a transporter and a 7e in the same system is a huge plus for my opinion gathering.

If you don't mind me asking, what type of preamp, amp and speakers did you listen to both units through?
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