Hello,
I am new to
the forum. I’ve been updating my system in the last years, and the weakest link
is now my DAC, Moon 280D, the first DAC that
I’ve had, and that opened the door for streaming; it has been an exciting
journey.
My current
system: AQ Niagara 3000, Bryston BCD-1 CD Player, Ayre V5/K5 amps, B&W
802D3 speakers, AQ cables.
I am thinking
of updating my DAC, and the two candidates that I’ve considered are Ayre QX-5 (CDN
$13K retail in Canada) and Moon 680D
(CDN 11.5K). I tested the Moon in my system, and I like the improvement to SQ
in terms of detail and sound stage. The unit is massive, with big heatsinks
that I find hard to justify, if not for marketing reasons.
In a perfect
world, I would listen to the Ayre QX-5 to compare. Unfortunately, I am not able to try the
Ayre QX-5, not in my system and not in my city.
I’ve read
the reviews of the QX-5 and also comments about the unit in this forum.
Informed by these reviews, the fact that I really like my Ayre amps and the
excellent customer service and reputation from Ayre, my inclination is to go
for this one, although price is even higher.
I contacted
a couple of dealers with questions about these two DACs, and their qualities. In
a way, I was hoping to hear a confirmation about the QX-5 being superior. What
I heard, though, was that both units are very good. I didn’t hear a clear
preference for one or the other.
I mostly
listen to European jazz and classical music. I am looking for a relaxed, more refined
and warm sound that is not fatiguing and brings additional resolution.
My
questions: have any of you had a chance to listen to these two DACs? What are
the qualities that you can comment from each unit? How would you compare them?
Thanks!
