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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
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?
chesebert
38 posts
 
Cerrot, thank you for the update. I have a hard time going back to CD now that I am listening to 24bit files (you should really try running the transporter with 24bit files)

Wireless, I generally buy from Linn, although I have been buying from High Definition Tape Transfer Online in the recent months (little tight on $$ ;)
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