Wadia 581se or Audio Aero Prestige/Capitole

If you do a forum search on each of these you will find lots of good reviews, with the AA probably getting the most consistent good reviews.

I am very happy with my Capitole.

I have heard both, but not in the same system, so my conclusion could be off..

However, I believe that they both offer quite different presentations.

The Wadia presenting a more technically correct sound, the AA more musical, but probably rolled off at the freq extremes.

A lot would depend on your preferred sound. Do listen to both, since they both sound SO different.

I would go with the Wadia... because that is the sound I like.

I just finally gave up on my AA Capitole Mk IISE: I'd bought it used,sent it to Globe Audio in Toronto for the SE upgrade, got it back and had nothing but constant, though different (output level freeze, lose one channel, shut down entirely, etc.): sent it back to Toronto once and to the service center in Phoenix 4 times over the next two years. You might want to pursue an inquiry into the reliability of each machine. Also, I understand that Globe is now out of business and AA is looking for a new North American distributor. Maybe I am an exception (but I don't think so), but I probably put $6,000 altogether into the AA and have nothing to show for it and no response from AA, Globe or Sedonix (repair). So now I have spent another $6k to replace it with an Audio Research LS17 and Primare 32 and they sound fantastic together- and they WORK.

I had only the opposite experience with Globe. True, I have not contacted them in over three years, but this attests to my very good experience with them.

I didn't have any bad experiences with Globe and I don't want to imply that: only that now, they're out of business and I have this apparently unrepairable Audio Aero Capitol that I sunk a LOT of money into and have nothing to show for it.
So definitely, I'd go with the Wadia!