Chord Dave or Ayre QX5 Twenty DAC???

Your original question was should I purchase the Chord Dave DAC or the Ayre QX-5 Twenty DAC.  There are 16 posts "striving" to answer your question.  Some people are recommending the Chord Dave DAC and others like the Ayre QX-5 Twenty DAC. Other people, like myself, are recommending you consider other DAC choices, such as the Bricasti M1 SE DAC.  

Some posts are expressing strong likes, or dislikes, for one DAC or another DAC. I believe that everyone posting a similar like question on Audiogon has received similar responses.  Based on my experience, the only way you can make the right decision for yourself is to listen to the DAC’s mentioned above.  I also know, that in many cases, you might not be able to audition some of these DAC’s.

As you already know, everyone posting on Audiogon has a different opinion but the only one that counts is your opinion.  All of the above posts are interesting opinions and information.

I suggest you purchase a USA made DAC since it is easier to ship back for upgrades, repairs, etc.  You need to select the DAC that offers the features you need now and in the immediate future. It is big plus if your DAC can be easily upgraded. For example, I upgraded my Bricasti M1 DAC to the SE DAC version (Ayre offers similar upgrades).  You need to ensure your new DAC is compatible with your existing equipment (for example, balanced connections).  Does your new DAC have special power requirements and need special power cables?  The most important factor is how does your new DAC sound in your room.  If possible, I suggest you borrow one of these DAC’s for a listening session in your system and environment.  I was able to borrow a Bricasti M1 DAC for my home audition.  As noted, I liked it very much and purchased it.  

I also agree with ctsooner's post above that you should audition the Ayre QX-5 Twenty DAC.   It is a top tier DAC that sounds excellent and has many useful features.   All of the DAC's listed above are expensive so you need to take the time to ensure you purchase the DAC that is right for you.    

I really am amazed at some of the comments about the Ayre.  I owned the Empirical OSDE/SE and nearly upgraded to the OSDX.  I have had the Dave, Berk Ref mk 2 as well as many other DAC's.  I"ve listened to the Trinity Ref DAC, the DCS DAC systems multiple times. I have not heard the Bricasti or EMM, but I have a few friends who own them. I also have a few friends who have them.  Both love their DAC's as they should.  I only heard the TotalDac once and felt it nailed everything.  To my ears I love the liquidity of it.  From top to bottom is was just awesome.  I also love the new Brinkman DAC.  It's really special and I think folks will love it.

The Ayre, to my ears, is only a hair behind the TotalDac.  I couldn't justify getting the TotalDac with what Ayre offers as half the cost.

Ayre vs Dave.  The Dave and Chord in general is known for awesome mids and highs.  To my ears it lacks in the bass. It's musical and goes low, but not as low as the Ayre.  The Ayre is very natural in the mids and highs.  It has the best pace of the two also I feel (again for MY ears).  At first I didn't think it was as detailed as other top flight DAC's I've heard or had in the system, but it's more detailed.  It just does it without any distortion or edge.  I don't think it gives up anything to Dave IRT the mids and upper range either.  I love the Chord products, but they don't do bass as well as many other comparable products. I've spoken to two well regarded designers about this. One says that he wishes he could get the mids and high right the way the Dave does, but he agreed with me about 100hz down.  

The one thing that you have to also be careful with in digital is that it sound differently in each home.  They are just so reliant on the quality of power you feed it and also which source and input you are using.  The one thing about Ayre that is sweet is that it is a digital hub.  They have maximized all the inputs. I've tried all of them and feel that they got it right.  It did take well over 500 hours for mine to break in, but once it did, it vaulted itself into the top tier DAC's for my money.  

The DCS DAC's to me can be a bit dry.  They are as open and detailed as you will get and the bass is really deep.  Honestly the bass on them when used with the Wilson XLF's was the best I've ever heard on those speakers.  I personally don't like the Wilson's.  I'm a Vandersteen guy as most know who follow any of my posts.  That gives you an idea of what I like in my sound.

The Berkley ref 2 to me wasn't in my final 4 DAC's.  I just didn't love it.  I think it's a nice sounding DAC and does nothing wrong, but I think that the DAVE has much better sound and the TotalDac blows it out of the water IRT involvement and top to bottom accuracy.  It also has a pace about it that betters the Ayre only by a smidge and not on all tracks.  

The Dave does throw a huge soundstage which I love.  If the DAVE had deeper bass, I'd say go with it, but the only way anyone will ever know is by getting them all in their systems.

For anyone to say the QX5/20 isn't an upper end DAC makes me wonder what they are listening to.  I'm not saying it's better than anything mentioned in this thread and I'm trying to stay on track of what the OP asked.  

If you don't want to audition the Ayre, because you read someone who says it's not a top tier DAC, then you are doing yourself a disservice.  JMHO

Yes. I like Ayre as a company (you can see that I’m a big fan of their amplification) and like to see what everyone is talking about re their digital since they sell a lot of units (and thus have a lot of threads posted about them) due to their very reasonable prices - their earlier work like the CX-7e was garbage (the only one I owned - relied upon reviews and got burned - the rest I’ve heard at dealers in Ayre systems). They turned the corner with the DX-5 and have been improving.

Hello Paul,
To be clear I wasn't critical of your impression and opinion at all. I just know that someone somewhere will say I've also heard both DACs and chose the Dave over the Totaldac. Based on what I have read and heard about the Totaldacs I don't doubt that it is as you described. 
Charles 

I didn’t say that the Ayre was not a nice DAC; simply that it’s not in the same league as top tier DACs

@bar81 Have you heard the Ayre?   Is your conclusion based on personal experience?

I hear you charles1dad. However, I have had both the DAVE and the Totaldac here, and it was very clear to me in my 2 channel system that the Totaldac translated much better with a speaker system. With headphones, I am not sure, and I think this is where the DAVE gets allot of its praise. In my system though, I just didn't get it. DAVE was great, no doubt, but not magic like the Totaldac. Magic in that the Totaldac sounded like real musicians playing music in my room with me.

Sorry to recommend another product, but I have experience with one of the DAC's the OP mentioned, and my findings of it vs. another, so I feel that I did nothing wrong.

Which is why it's always nice when people answer the actual question asked instead of turning it into a recommendation thread.

@sc53 
I didn't say that the Ayre was not a nice DAC; simply that it's not in the same league as top tier DACs - which if multiple commentators are to be believed, such top tier includes the Dave.  Since I haven't heard the Dave (as said above, way too many choices these days) I couldn't say one way or another definitively.  In any case, I'm set with what I have now.   Let's see if anyone else has heard both and can add to the discussion.

Hi Paul,
That’s the dilemma with High End audio, so many good choices are available and you can’t hear all of them . Invariably someone will post that the Chord Dave sounds better than the Totaldac in their opinion, just the way it goes 😊
Charles

Both these DAC's put you in Totaldac territory. I would much prefer a Totaldac D1 Six to anything else mentioned here.

The Bricasti M1 SE is excellent but I like the features of the Ayre QX5. Although the Bricasti is excellent I would choose the Chord Dave. With the Chord, I will have to still use USB from my MacBook to the DAC because of its price. I read this may still sound great. With the Ayre, I could use the MacBook as the Core with Roon which is what I want to do. With the Chord I would have to wait a year or two to be able to do that until I have more funds. Not sure if there is a reasonably priced streamer with Roon & Tidal that would be high quality.

Last year I did an expensive experiment, and owned the Chord Dave, Bricasti M1, and Berkeley Ref Series 1 at the same time. With multiple outputs from my Aurender N10 and multiple inputs on my Luxman integrated amp, I was able to do various tests somewhat easily.

And very clearly to my ears, the Chord Dave offered more detail, more warmth, deeper soundstage and just plain more toe-tapping than either the Bricasti or the Berkeley.

I sold the latter two, still love the Chord Dave, and look forward to Chord's new gizmos that are supposed to improve the Dave's sound tremendously. But even with no extra gizmos...

Dave, who adds that while he didn't stick with the Chord Dave for its headphone amp capabilities that's also quite quite quite good

I have the Ayre QX-20, replaced my Ayre QB-9DSD. Both are excellent DACs, don't know why Bar81 says not. I heard the QX-20 and the Chord in the same room at a shop; I preferred the Ayre. You might not.

My friend had the Chord Dave and Bricasti M1 SE. He said, "it's not even close, the Chord Dave is more musical, better separation, and better mids/highs

For that amount of money, I hope it is.

My friend had the Chord Dave and Bricasti M1 SE. He said, "it's not even close, the Chord Dave is more musical, better separation, and better mids/highs." All around he feels the Chord Dave is better, but he doesn't like the way it looks.

I suggest you add the Bricasti M1 SE DAC to your audition list.  I am running mine balanced, direct into my Hypex NCore NC400 Bridged Mono Block class D Power Amplifiers and it sounds terrific.   

I have not heard the Chord Dave or the Ayre QX-5 Twenty DAC's.  The Bricasti M1 DAC is excellent sounding and I highly recommend you look at it.

Wouldn't think it would be a tough choice if you can get over the garishly ugly design of the Dave.  From my reading the Dave is a top flight DAC.  The Ayre is not.

Having said that, can't you get loaners from local dealers and make up your own mind?  Neither of the two are cheap.