Ayre C-5xe-mp v Sony XA5400ES

Look inside the Ayre box, and you'll find an Oppo. The Sony has had better reviews for SACD sound than the Oppo. If you like listening to a pretty and expensive box, buy the Oppo.

Ayre is not an Oppo. Ayre is a much better sounding player than the Sony as I have heard both in the same system. Sony is more electronic or artificial sounding.

I have an Oppo 105 in addition to the Sony XA5400ES, Tarp38. Both are connected via analog to a Parasound JC-2 that feeds Proceed HPA amps that drive a pair of KEF Reference 107/2s. The surround channels of the Oppo go directly to the amps.

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"06-03-14: Rondel
Interesting, I Thought The Sound Of The Sony Was More Musical.No Experience With SACD Between The Two."

Nothing wrong with that. If we all liked the same thing, we would all have the same equipment.

"06-03-14: Tarp38
Look inside the Ayre box, and you'll find an Oppo."

No idea how you would come up with that one unless someone miss-boxed an Oppo.

One of the things that makes the Ayre such a good choice, at least for me, is the analog section. Assuming for a moment that the digital side of the player is same as the Sony or Oppo (which its not), there are very few designers as gifted as Charles Hanson. He's considered to be one of the elite in the industry. That doesn't mean you have to like his products, as we all have different tastes, but I don't see that level of design in the other players mentioned. Also, just to be clear, I'm not putting either the Sony or Oppo down in any way. Both are two of the best players in their price range. I just think that Ayre is a higher level.

IIRC, I read that the mechanicals are Pioneer, and that Ayre has stocked backup units for meeting future service needs.

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