I have listened and auditioned the new Ayre player carefully. I also listened to the new $3600 Wadia 301, the $4250 Naim, the Sim Moon Eclipse, and the new Resolution Audio Opus 21. The Ayre CX-7 came in second. I think it is a great player for the money. For my ears, I liked the absolute crystal clarity of the Resolution audio piece. Head to head it beat out every other player with its presence and immediacy. Even my poorly recorded discs sounded better and less 'digital'. The longer I have the Opus 21, the more I like it. The Ayre is less resolving, but it is smooth and clear. The Opus 21 can be run direct to the amp with its volume control and that is what I ended up doing in the end.
