2. digital
  3. 124453-113

Ayre now has a new QX-5 all in one

box with DAC/Streamer (Tidal etc), Roon ready. It has nearly any input and a great headphone amp too.  It can also be used as a preamp, although I personally have yet to hear any digital pre sound as good as a great preamp, but that's me.  It's all balanced and has the Ayre power supply filters that all the Ayre products have.  I can't wait to hear it. I personally am running a great sounding Empirical Audio OSDE/SE with all the upgrades from Steve and I also have a Mac Mini server that Empirical totally rebuilt with a separate Hynes linear power supply.  It's full of only hi rez, well recorded music of all genres.  I love it, but the new servers do sound a bit better, so I've been looking.  I didn't want to set up a NAS, but since I run a Linn DS system in the bedroom I'm open to it.  I love the Melco NAS and may just get that for my NAS and the Ayre for everything else.  I want a simple, one box solution and I do use IEM's and cans on Sunday and Sat mornings so having a great amp solution in my main rig is enticing too.

I rn an Ayre AX-5 Twenty with Vandersteen Treo's (going to sell so I can upgrade to the Quatro's) and Basis/Aesthetix's for vinyl.  Pretty exciting times in digital.  I'm sure that Ayre will be a great value for all that it offers and it should sound incredible.  Time will tell.
ctsooner

Showing 7 responses by erik_squires

erik_squires
16,592 posts
 
@ctsooner

My experience with Ayre DAC's is that they CAN sound awesome but only with great sources.

Your friends who traded in the BADA, what is the source?

Best,

Erik
erik_squires
16,592 posts
 
@ctsooner

I think we have different expectations.

Personally,  if I am paying for an excellent DAC it needs to be more or less immune to source quality. I've found some DAC's do this much better than others. 

Schiit and Mytek for instance to me seem more immune than the Ayre QB-9 and possibly the Codex and Oppo. I find Mac Mini's to have presented the worst sound I've ever heard, taking down otherwise excellent DAC's, like the QB-9, down.  Your mileage may vary and it's been a while since I had a chance to do exhaustive comparisons, but this is what my experience leads me to believe. In particular, listen for evidence of a harsh, or etched quality to the treble.

I consider DAC's which are "revealing" of power cables, digital cables or upstream sources (within reason) far less desirable than a DAC that performs consistently well.

Of course, not all feel that way, and please enjoy yourself your way. My point to this reply was just to explain where I'm coming from, and that I must remain in disagreement with the philosophy that an excellent DAC is revealing of the source components. I feel it's the opposite.

Best,


Erik
erik_squires
16,592 posts
 
It's possible to make a piece of equipment, especially speakers, "discriminating" without being better.  Make the input receivers more sensitive, reduce the buffer sizes, increase the output impedance, etc. and you have a piece of equipment that is now more "revealing" of upstream components.

Not saying that's always the case, but be careful about being fooled into thinking something "discriminating" is always better.

Best,


Erik
erik_squires
16,592 posts
 
I really love Ayre, by the way! I love their sound, and modern Audio Research.

My experience with the Ayre DAC's however was mixed.  From a highly modded Mac, Bleah.  From thier own CD player it was superb. 

After reading your thoughts, I think I want gear that is MUSICALLY revealing, but not technically revealing.  I don't want to be able to switch USB cable and hear a difference, or really, switch among various amps and hear that my speaker needs the beefiest one's to have the best bass.

And sometimes I really don't want the gear to be that musically revealing either. ..... :)



Your mileage may vary!

Best,


Erik
erik_squires
16,592 posts
 
I havenot heard the codex.  the 9 and pono.
erik_squires
16,592 posts
 
@cstonner

I just got a new DAC/preamp, so I'm not in a hurry.  My local dealer has the Codex set up as part of their headphone set up, so I doubt I could hear it easily in a full-size system.

I'm glad you like it, and good to know Ayre is moving forward. :) I was always a fan of the Pono for it's Ayre derived output stage, it's UI, limited memory and lack of streaming however kept me for springing for one.

Best,


Erik
erik_squires
16,592 posts
 
@ctsooner

Thanks! I'm in California.  They could move it but I don't like hanging out and asking for demos unless I'm buying, and lately I'm building or selling. :)

As a not bad alternative to the Pono is the Fiio X5 with external amp.  I have not heard the X7 which adds Android, and therefore Tidal.

Best,


Erik
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