APL NWO2.5 ?

From my understanding the leap of faith has been gradual. Initially, people purchased Alex's APL 3910 and were quite impressed at its performance. It gained kind of cult following among some audiophiles who said it outperformed all others at its price point and many others costing up to twice as much. Then, it seems, Alex pursued the best player he could make because people always want the best. That led to the development of the NWO 2.5. Many people who owned or heard his APL 3910 took the next leap of faith and purchased the new player. Others went to visit Alex to hear the player for themselves before purchasing it. If you can afford $20,000 for a CD player you can find a way to listen to it before purchasing it or you can read the posts on the APL website and be assured that you are purchasing a quality machine made by a true craftsman. As for me, I have no affiliation with APL or Alex - I have taken a small leap of faith and am waiting on delivery of one of the last of Alex's APL 3910s. If I were in the market for the best digital, I would find a way to listen to the NWO 2.5 or I would take a leap of faith knowing that everything Alex has made/modded has received rave reviews.

Mmakshak - I have had the APL3910 for about two weeks now. It has all the latest upgrades including the AKM DACs. Right out of the box it sounded pretty darn good. I have only about 15-20 hours on it now and recently listened to Miles Davis Kind of Blue (had listened to it about 30 times before on a Meridian 506-20) and was blown away by how good it sounded - it was like listening to it for the first time and discovering all the little nuances and textures to the music/performances that I had never heard before. Can't wait til my 3910 is fully broken in. That being said, I can only imagine how good the NWO 2.5 is.

Congrats 711 - you lucky dog! Regarding powercords, I am using a Harmonix Studio Master on my APL3910 which I really like. I have also heard good things about top of the line Kubala Sosna and Pranawire powercords.