Ayre C-5xeMP CD/SACD/DVD-A Player

Tim Shea has posted a review of the Ayre C-5xeMP CD/SACD/DVD-A player on Soundstage! HiFi. His conclusion:

Before the Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP came my way, the Bel Canto DAC3VB, CD2, and VBS1 were easily the best digital source components I’ve had in my system — and in terms of holographic imagery and bringing a sense of the venue into my room, they’re still the best. But the Ayre trumps them in terms of subtle dynamic shadings, tonal completeness, and a level of involvement with both performers and performance that make it a more intoxicating and captivating device to listen to. Which is more accurate is impossible for me to say, and at this level I start not to care, so good is the sound either way. That you also have the option of switching between filters as the mood and music strike you, combined with the fact that the Ayre costs $1235 less than the complete Bel Canto setup, makes it a relative bargain (if anything at these prices can be considered such). Perhaps the strongest compliment I can bestow on the Ayre C-5xeMP is that it changed my perspective on what digital sound reproduction is capable of. It brought me closer to the music, and I’m spoiled all over again.

You can read the full review here.