is ayre qb-9 dac better than cx7e mp?

All I can say is my Mac Mini / Wavelength Cosecant sounds far superior to my previous Ayre C5xeMP.

Not really familiar with the QB-9 however I can say without a doubt that the Wavelength Cosecant is superior to the C5xeMP which I used to own. My brother says it is no contest vs. the C7 which he also owns.

As you may or may not know, the QB9 uses the proprietary Wavelength asynchronous USB technology - but I've heard from several people that the Cosecant is far, far superior - although of course it does cost more.

If I were in the market for a digital source I wouldn't buy a CDP - I do believe that the technology is on its way out and service on transport, laser etc is likely to become difficult in the coming years.

With all due respect Audiofreak32 you are giving your own opinion. If there were one interface which was unquestionably better than all the others then that is all that would exist. There is by no means any kind of consensus here. Asynchronous USB DACs can sound great and do have some sonic advantages in a well-implemented design.

You are entitled to your own opinion. When I heard several Linn servers (they were peddling servers at 3 different price categories) in an all-Linn system at a show I was not tremendously impressed...

I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume that it is your own ignorance you're talking about. May I ask which USB DACs you have heard that have allowed you to come to the conclusion that they represent an inferior technology?

You have not answered my question. What USB DACs have you used that have allowed you to come to such a conclusion? Certainly you must have vast experience in order to make such a sweeping generalization.

Wow Audiofreak, the silence is deafening! Still waiting for that long list of USB DACs you have experienced that have allowed you to determine they are inferior. Surely your bravado must have some substance behind it?

Thanks for your input Jcote. Audiofreak certainly has his agenda, whatever the reason.

Isn't the DAC in the DX5 the same one as in the QB9? I always kind of thought of the DX5 as a C5xeMP and QB9 in one chassis.

Like you I am committed to computer audio. To my ears, my Mac mini through Wavelength Cosecant has been a revelation in digital audio - my first digital front end that can give analogue a run for its money - and that includes my previous Ayre C5xeMP player.

And it's so nice (albeit potentially quite expensive) to be able to download high res albums in minutes rather than having to get SACDs shipped from online dealers.

As I said, I heard the Linn servers at a show and was underwhelmed but don't feel I have enough experience with them to have an educated opinion - hence I would never post anything about them unless specifically asked or challenged. You, on the other hand, have basically dismissed all USB DACs as inferior but provided no evidence that this "opinion" is based on anything tangible.

Now, for the last time, I ask that you defend your disparaging comments about USB DACs with a list of ones you have tried that have led you to your conclusions.

It would also help if you could provide a technical explanation of why a USB connection is inferior since you talk as if you know this to be a fact.

Educate us please!

I'm waiting...

Hmmmph - I thought so. As you said, ignorance is bliss. Nice chatting with you.

I must admit my eyes are glazing over as I try to read this - too technical for me! What I DO notice is that the article is >10 years old and doesn't deal specifically with the proprietary asynchronous USB technology developed by Gordon Rankin of Wavelength - which appears to address the jitter and clock issues inherent in the technology. No doubt many USB connections are afterthoughts in most CDPs and DACs but the newer generation of specialist asynchronous USB DACs (such as the QB-9 discussed here) appear to have jumped many technological hurdles in truly making the computer a slave to the DAC and the whole system highly jitter-immune.

Here is a more technical explanation if interested:

http://www.usbdacs.com/Concept/Concept.html

More importantly, however, my ears tell me that that asynchronous USB technology certainly is capable of state of the art sound.

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