Just stumbled upon this. I was hoping to replace my CEC with the Ayre as my 'last cd player ever' type scenario. Floored when the CEC won for me. The Ayre was flat and unengaging. Bass via the Ayre (supposedly a strong suit) was not as low or convincing then through the CEC. The CEC was much more dimensional and engaging to listen to. The CEC has bested more than few players in my set up, though besting the Ayre was a surprising revelation. Sometimes you don't know how good you already have it.
