I'd agree that "best" may be a bit of a reach however it is the "best" I have heard that I can reasonably aspire to someday own. Like I said earlier it was the best my system had ever sounded when the C5 was put into the mix last weekend. The fact that it was so much beyond the C7Xe which is a very well respected CD player in its own right and one which I'll have until a C5 shows up for $3,900. I'm reasonably certain that it is likely the best I can find for a $3,900 investment. This all said everything in this price range is often different more so than better...a couple of buddies of mine were over and we were comparing the Aesthetix Calypso to the Pass X1. Was one better than the other? The two buddies preferred the Pass, I preferred the Calypso but the point is I certainly would not call one better than the other. As with the C5 both of these preamps are at the upper limit of my spending threshold. It would still be nice to get some direct comparisons to the Ayre & the Cary which is where this thread started.
