Ayre DAC vs Auralic vs Metrum vs Bel Canto

The conclusion that the Ayre QB-9 is less musical is ... odd.

An Ayre QB-9 was used in an all Ayre, solid state system driving SF Cremonas versus the Metrum being used in an all Shindo system, lush beautiful tube gear driving Devore Gibbon 9s.

The disclaimer is made that this is not an apples to apples comparison. No kidding, it's about as far from apples to apples as you can get. This is like comparing a Rolls Royce on one day to a Ferrari on another and saying the Ferrari is faster but the Rolls is more luxurious, and wondering, "Huh. Could it be the shoes I was wearing?"

I've had both the Ayre and Metrum in my system. The same system, in my room. I found the Metrum more clinical and the Ayre more musical, but neither was as resolving or as musical as the PS Audio PerfectWave DAC.

Jcote: I should have used more measured language, and I apologize for that. I'm not taking away anything from your view on things, and certainly my opinions are not the only ones that count.

I certainly have made no claim that my opinion is authoritative. My broader point is that clinical versus musical could have been ascribed to the speakers, the amplifier, the preamplifier, etc, not to the DAC. And so to draw a conclusion regarding the DAC when all of those other components have changed, I think that's quite the stretch ...

But let me again apologize for my inappropriate and impolitic language. That's not fair to you and was not reasonable for me to have done.