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Any experience with the Esoteric UX-1

I have an Ayre D-1EX DVD/CD player and really love it but I am considering the Esoteric UX-1. I can't seem to find much review or user info on it on the net. Do anyone have any experience with it and does anyone have an audio comparison of the Ayre versus the Esoteric. Other than the fact that the Esoteric plays SACD and DVD-A, which one in you opinion sounds better. They are in about the same price range. Any comments would be helpful
lbsilver
spacekadet
63 posts
 
The Ayre player only has digital audio output. When you say that Ayre is much better than Esoteric, what D/A converter did you run it through? I really doubt it was head and shoulders above the Esoteric X-01.
dkidknow
46 posts
 
I did a heads up comparison on SACD and Redbook between the UX-1 and the MF KW SACD Player ($7K) and the MF was much more musical, IMO. THe UX-1 was more detailed-- for example, I listened to a 1960's recording of Stravinsky conducting his own Rite of Spring on SACD. Through the UX-1 I became aware of the sound of the valves on the woodwinds clicking while played. Going back to the MF, I heard the same sounds, but only after the UX-1 pointed them out.

The MF got a better sense of space and scale, while the UX-1 was drier in sound. I definitely preferred the MF, but it only plays redbook and SACD.

Electronics were Pathos tube monoblocks and preamp into Dali Full-Range floorstanders. Sound was breathtaking.
zephyr24069's avatar
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zephyr24069
1,183 posts
 
I moved to a UX-1 from a DV-50s (which I enjoyed very much...); the UX-1 is a great player with a video section that blew my ISF engineer away out of the box. I hear the X-01 has better CD/SACD performance (the UX-1 kicks ass on DVD-A) however, Esoteric just announced an upgrade which I'm planning to pay for to the UX-1 Limited Edition modifications...

If you do home theater, DVD-A as well as CD/SACE, I'd suggest the UX-1 Limited Edition.

Good luck!
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