I'm not a big fan of Esoteric players. I find them to be dry and uninvolving. I'm not a big fan of Meridian players either, but many people swear by them, so a lot of it is a matter of taste.

I have a DV50 S and I love love love it.

Can't say enough nice things about it.

Kondo-san used to hang at the hi fi show, and we was an Esoteric enthusiast once he got cookin'.

Worth an audition.

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Kondo-san used to hang at the hi fi show, and we was an Esoteric enthusiast once he got cookin'.

Kondo's opinion vs. AlexO's? Puh-leeze, man. Rollin' with AlexO all the way. That "O" at the end of "Alex" doesn't stand for Ongaku, dude.

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Kondo-san used to hang at the hi fi show, and we was an Esoteric enthusiast once he got cookin'.

Kondo's opinion vs. AlexO's? Puh-leeze, man. Rollin' with AlexO all the way. That "O" at the end of "Alex" doesn't stand for Ongaku, dude.

I've frequently been impressed by the quality of ear the Japanese manfuactureres have.

The president of a company called Technial Brain, a Japanese amplifier maker, was also an Esoteric enthusiast.

He was so good, that he could hear the effect of different amps on the speakers during a party!

Some amazing ears out there.

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Kondo-san used to hang at the hi fi show, and we was an Esoteric enthusiast once he got cookin'.

Kondo's opinion vs. AlexO's? Puh-leeze, man. Rollin' with AlexO all the way. That "O" at the end of "Alex" doesn't stand for Ongaku, dude.

Word up, homie! That "O" doesn't stand for Origami either.

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I've frequently been impressed by the quality of ear the Japanese manfuactureres have.

The president of a company called Technial Brain, a Japanese amplifier maker, was also an Esoteric enthusiast.

He was so good, that he could hear the effect of different amps on the speakers during a party!

Some amazing ears out there.

Yeah, it just seems like a different religion over there in Asia. Lately, I've been reading far more Japanese & Korean audio lit than the US/European ones, and I really like their approach over there. The audiophile scene, too, seems less bratty and more sincere in discussion.

I've been reading Japan's Stereo Sound, btw., and I keep wondering, how do they review equipment earlier than U.S. or Europe? For example, Spiral Groove with Phantom arm got the Grand Prix like two years ago, but it's just coming out?

Had one, DV-50 in Germany. Hated the damn thing. . Dry, sterile sound. all details, no soul. from where I sit, that is One of those brands that people lust after for no apparent reason. .. big name, little punch

The best ive heard personally is Nagra, but ive had an infatuation with them since I bought my first Nagra reel to reel.

I like both the Ayre C7, at $3000, and the C5, at $6000, a lot better than the competition in these price ranges.

Another issue entirely is the reliability of the units you mention; one reviewer had to return two units before he got one that actually worked; that tells me a lot right there!

Don't be shy...what DOES it stand for...obtuse...ovoid...obscure...oligarchic...lol?

Buddha says his is great; it sounds to me like you were running it on 220V...can't get good sound THAT way!

The Esoteric X-03SE is the best player I have heard to date, but "the best" simply mirrors my own preferences.

It imparts a nice warmth to digital, and it is quite different in nature than the lower end Esoterics. I figured it would give me the most options with amplification, outside of plush sounding tube gear.

The Ayre line is also really nice, and sounds a bit more analytical and "clean" in comparison. Listen to the Ayre C-5xeMP and the X-03SE side by side as I did, and you'll likely notice the same differences. The Ayre sounded crystal clear, but notes seemed to end prematurely. The X-03SE had a bit more warmth, and the same notes lingered more naturally. Both are wonderful, but decidedly different.