I have not heard the CD-5 or CD-5s directly. There are many who have and love it (and have purchased it and/or reviewed it). It not only appears to be a killer RBCD player and DAC but also a pre-amp please don't forget to factor that into your thinking... |
Junglern, in regard to RB only, do you own any SACDs? If not, and you don't listen to a lot of classical & jazz (which makes up most SACD titles), it is unlikely you'll miss SACD. Also remember you can still buy many audiophile RB titles if you dig around.
I have a friend who owns the Crescendos & he finds they sound components upstream, and the CD-5s is a warm sounding player. I own a CD-5s which has a warm, rich, liquid, dynamic & musical sound with great transparency and detail. The Skylla 2 dac (on which the CD-5s is built) is really excellent. My previous CD-5 replaced a Vimak DS-1800mk2 (which is regarded as one of the best sounding delta sigma dacs ever made. It also offers 'true' analogue inputs & a 24/96 asynchronous usb input so you can fully utilise the dac.
Let us know which way you go! |
Buy the Bryston player with the Berkeley dac-2 and you will thrilled ,make sure to use a first rate USB cable , as well as digital I use the Wireworld Platinum for both . |
You actually asked a few questions all jumbled into one. So here's my attempt to make some sense of it all.
A. CD5 vs CD5S
The major differences are:
1. USB input (48kHz vs 24/96kHz)
IMHO this is a moot point. The USB input is acceptable but not fantastic. If you can score a good deal on a preowned CD5, go for it. Save your moolah for a standalone USB-SPDIF or FireWire-SPDIF device and hook that up to the AES/coax input on the CD5. I have had great success with a Wavelink HS and a Weiss INT202
2. preamp stage
The CD5 I believe uses a digital volume control. The CD5S uses an analog preamp volume control that is only beaten by Ayon's dedicated preamp with built in regenerator. If you are using an integrated Triton or have a good preamp, the premium of the 5S is IMHO not worth paying for.
You mentioned you heard the CD7 before this. I suspect it's the CD-07S) and was impressed. I had a pre-owned CD2S (two models up from the 07) for about a week and it was so good that I was convinced to top up the difference to get a new CD5S and did not regret it one bit. The improvement even between the 2S and the 5S was not small.
B. SACD vs RBCD titles
SACDs have enjoyed a resurgence of late. But you have to pay for it.
I have imported loads of SHM SACDs from Japan. Go to www.cdjapan.co.jp and have a browse. You'll be surprised at what titles you can find on the SACD format. Rolling Stones, The Who, Queen are all getting released on this format. Universal Japan is also re-releasing some old DVDA titles in SACD format. Of course, Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here has just been released on SACD. So it's more than just jazz and classical.
If you are prepared to spend that kind of money, and also look around at Amazon Merchants to buy some Out Of Print titles, you would most likely run out of moolah before you run out of titles to buy ;)
Of course, you'll always have more RBCDs to choose from. But I do find that with the new remasters, there's extra care in the mastering/mixing that you get a big boost in quality. So you do get a better quality transfer with SACD.
C. Ayon CD5/5S vs SACD player
This is a bit harder to answer.
I will say this for the Ayon CD5S. It's a great CD player. Even with not so well mastered RBCDs (and there are plenty), the music still flows. You don't get ticked off with too much digital glare. And it does this without being overly warm. There's still enough detail and dynamics to keep me satisfied (and I was a SolidState guy through and through before the Ayon)
To get an SACD that can go better than the 5S, I had to go to something like a Playback Designs MPS5 or XDS1. And either cost a fair bit more than the 5S, I reckon. I'm not sure if you want to spend that much more.
DAC vs CDP/DAC
I have taken steps to rip my CD catalog in AIFF format. It's a tedious process, and with about 70% done, I think I have a large enough size to be usable since most of my frequently played titles are there. I love the convenience and for background listening, it's pretty damn close with my custom SSD Mac Mini/8GB/SSD/Pure Music setup, Wavelink HS to the Ayon. But if I listen intently, I'd still say the spun disc has just that more "life" and "energy" to it. It's close, and I expect in a few more generations, we might just supersede it. But in the meantime, I enjoy the best of both worlds: putting on a disc when the mood takes me, or using my music server to serve up a playlist of the moment.
I know I haven't given you an indication one way or the other :)
ps Melbguy1, glad to see you online again :D |
Ooops I think I responded to two different threads about the Ayon in the same reply. :P |
I heard the Skylla 2 dac which is the same as the cd5 and actually has more power supply reserves for the 3 great
R core transformers they use with the cd5 it also has to run the transport in the skylla it has that extra reserve
it sounds fantastic better then the Berkeley or Wiess IMO
and this is what I now have on order to complement the
superb Bryston player it is like having a very good turntable with several advantages your whole hirez and redbook library on a usb external drive and a Ipad using mpad to cal up alll your cds with the great looking album art. |
I would also like to mention that I spoke with the engineers at Ayon
On they stated without any hesitation that the preamplifier section
In the Skylla -2 dac is better than in any integrated amps including the
Ayon Triton -2 ,that is why I chose buy the Skylla -2 for the dac is one of
The best analog sounding dacs out there and the single ended class- A
Preamplifier in there is at least as good than the majority of preamplifiers in the
$5-6k range I have had 3 in this price range and can say this .A lot has to do with the Very high quality of parts and the short signal paths and weighing almost 38 lbs it is a very effective solution to avoid the extra
Expense and extra cables and shelf well worth the effort.
I am using this with the Bryston bdp digital player and a 1- T HD. |
You mention that you have the Triton is it a triton ll integrated? I'm assuming it is. If you don't want to bust the bank I'd suggest the PS audio Perfect wave transport and the new Perfect Wave Dac MKII the original combo was compared by one mag to $30K of Esoteric gear and was better on hires .. Nice thing with the PS combo is the ability to play hires material and add the network bridge and have a music server too! The new PWD MKII has an all new digital board that uses analog switches much like the new SOTA Spectral Dac. |
the ps audio dac is good but still a few steps behind the Ayon Skylla 2 ,or dac5s just read the reviews on Dogogo and Doug did 2 reviews and agrees the Ps audio is Very good but still 2nd . It is not as natuaral sounding a lot has to do with the 1704k dacs which are considered my many the best Multi ladderbit dac ever made Esoteric,Accuphase, Lector Prime, lessloss, and several other companies agree,
they are no longer made but stock is still available.
the build quality in the Ayon products is much better than
the majority, and this Vacuum tube digital is the most
natural sounding digital I hav ever heard and the preamplifier section in the MK2 is fantastic and give many big names units a run for the money with it's sysynergy all in one unit . |
I would avoid spending $8K on a digital source that you have not demo'd. Digital sources, no matter the brand, depreciate faster than other audio equipment, because transports contain moving parts prone to failure over time and innovation in digital-land is still happening a lot faster than in amp/preamp-land.
So, I would make the trip to an Ayon dealer, tell them you are interested in hearing the CD-5, and ask them if it is OK to bring along the Sony 5400 so you can do a side-by-side comparison. (They might say no, but it never hurts to ask).
You can try to buy the Ayon used and flip it if you don't like it. However, the risk of some financial loss is pretty high, especially since you most likely will be buying from the "original owner" and selling the unit as the "second owner", and because of that are likely to take a haircut.
The fact that Doug Schroeder, who wrote that glowing review of the Ayon CD-5 in Dagogo and has other top-of-the line components in his setup, most notably the $15,000 VAC Signature preamp and two $10,000 VAC Phi 200 monoblocks, has since become a disciple of the Eastern Electric Tube Dac Plus at one eighth the price of the CD-5 speaks volumes.
I personally have owned both Ayon and PS Audio's Perfect Wave gear and am in agreement with Erikminer. But you may have different tastes, and an Ayon CD player may pair better with your Ayon amp than it did with my VAC Phi 200.
But forget what I think. Get yourself to a dealer before you make the jump from a $1100 Sony 5400 to an $8K Ayon CD-5. |
the eastern electric plus is by no means as good as the Ayon Skylla 2 dac , or cd5s player ,the dynamics and reality as a wholeness is better on every account .
The eastern electric is excellent for it's price range
just for example a corvette may go as fast as
a ferrari, it still is not the same beast, like in a lot of ways but not equalled.I have had both in my home
with several different setups and at No time did anyone say the East Electric plus dac was better then the Ayon Skylla 2 . |
