Ayre C5xe or APL 3910 ?

With all due respect the only issue is how well you trust aftermarket mods. Do you still paint the edges of your CDs green? Do you still support your electronics with various cone-shaped items of dubiously exotic proprietary materials? Do you lift your speaker cables above the floor with anything more expensive than a styrofoam cup? Do you think an Escalade looks better with 20" spinners? Then by all means go for the APL. With no offense meant to Alex there is no better capitalist than the recent convert. The C5xe is as to the APL as is the MB SL500 to the Escalade. Except 22" spinners are now available for the Escalade. Aftermarket, of course.

Ozzy, I have not heard the APL and of course I would like to. Maybe we're splitting semantics here but if APL does not consider its product a mod then why do they call it the "Denon DVD 3910 based APL Hi-Fi Universal Digital Player" on their own website? That sounds like a mod to me and my extensive experience with aftermarket mods has not been favorable over the long run. That you've already "upgraded" your APL 3 times makes my point. Ayre uses a Pioneer transport but nothing else from that company but they don't seem to need to call their product a "Pioneer transport based AYRE Universal Digital Disc Player". Maybe it's because they because they machine their own case and APL does not. Maybe it's because they haven't simply modified the Pioneeer player. Maybe they've actually designed it from scratch. Who knows?

With regard to the automobile analogy I would consider AMG, Braebus and RUF to be expert handcrafters and their products are superb until you have to get them serviced. But they still call their machines Mercedes or Porches respectively because they are MODS!

Ozzy, I'm sorry that you remember buying Sonic Frontiers equipment. Where is that stuff now? Maybe Anthem or some other reputably established company will rescue you from APL as well once Denon pulls the plug. Or maybe you can just "upgrade" to the forthcoming APL Teac/Esoteric mod in advance. Those slackers at Denon and Teac must gape in awe as their ineptitude is exposed by APL. Yes APL is clearly in a different league. Surely APL will "improve" the Ayre as well. Unless the dacha in Varna is paid for.

Alex, my apologies for confusing post-Soviet Cyrillic beach-house sensibilities with neo-capitalist aspirations. I have been to Varna and the east bay as well. When Mexico completes its reconversion we'll both be living in "Casas". You are obviously amusingly intelligent and electronically glib. Who can fault that in AmeriKa?
I have a prolem with "Mods". Brilliant as they are they have not sustained themselves. Let's see if you and AYRE are head to head 2 years from now. Or if you are still in existence. Or if your kashta is in Montecito or Escondido.
No offense of course.

Alex, I was in Zlatni Piasaci (that's how they spelled it) first in 1986 when they took our passports and would not let westerners wear bathing suits! I went back this summer and though allowed, chose not to wear anything revealing. The people were, as before, beautiful and gracious. One of my favorite CDs is "The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voice" which captures the amazing tonality of your native culture. As for automobiles I lust for the BMW M5. The others seem too tricked out, not for real drivers. But I would love to hear your product based on your obvious good taste and good nature. But your electronics will have to stand on there own. I understand you may be a new father. My congratulations to you whatever.