Ayre D to A

Stringreen, you can get better digital...but seems like a few of us are not sure the download path vs spinning disc is worth it (given the comments above).

What about a better Ayre player? Like the DX5? I know it's more money...The thing I keep finding in digital is you have to spend a LOT of money to improve vs our vinyl set ups where a little here and there are pretty big sound improvements usually...The DX 5 allows you to experiment with downloading and maybe better disc spinning to...

You might find better cables or power, better isolation on your current rig is better than swapping players..I am familiar with most of your components..it's a great set up...really nice !!!

Wish their was a easy answer here...

I have yet to hear an audible improvement when switching between most high end DACs. I had the Ayre QB-9 at home for a week and compared it to the DAC built in to a McIntosh C50 I have. I have tried a variety of USB cables, interconnects, etc...

I am sure someone will say that either my hearing is bad or that my system is not revealing enough... but my experience is based on looking at many high end dealers and spending many hundreds of hours comparing equipment in person and at home.

I would prefer to cap my digital purchases to something like an Ayre QB-9 or W4S DAC2 and tack on $100-300 worth of cabling and call it a day.. spend more money on better speakers instead.

Regards,

Like many here I spent many hours of frustration trying to decide how to set up a hi-rez digital source. I had free access to a loaner Ayre QB-9 and was determined to hear it at it's full potential.

Here is the short story.
Had my very capable 30 yr old nephew/IT/network admin/computer professional build a laptop to the specs I found at genesisloudspeakers.com/support/newsletters.He made a few changes of his own to lessen expense and time as this was experimental. Used a newer PC running windows 7 with I5 pentium processor, 6GB Ram, 750GB HD that I bought on closeout at Office Depot.

Used my I phone for the remote, ran Foobar2000 and connected it with Audioquest Coffee USB.
My system: B&W 802D, Krell KCT Preamp, Cello Duet 350, Reality speaker cables, Esoteric Strings RCA from QB-9 to Krell.

Al audio files are FLAC files from my CD stock and some 24/96 albums and various downloads.

The results are jaw dropping. Some of the flac files from redbook CD's are very hard to distinguish from 24/96 files.

The sound with the KCT lacks almost nothing, Resolute but just diffuse enough to not sound digital, no hard leading edge and all Krell base.

Tried it with the AYRE K5xe-MP preamp and it was not as good as the KCT in my system. But tried both preamps in an all Ayre system with Vandersteen 3A and the Ayre preamp was better.

The Laptop works flawlessly, it is hard wired to my network, as we shut the wireless down as part of the modifications. Using the I-phone remote app is so cool and the change from song or album is instantaneous with absolutely silent operation.

Am now trying to decide on looking at higher priced dacs or stopping at the QB-9.

Hope this helps, I spent 8 months finding this info and deciding on this course of action.