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See Ayre QB-9 Twenty Upgrade Announcement

“Ayre QB-9 Twenty Upgrade” copied from an Ayre email announcement.

“The QB-9 was one of the most successful Ayre products ever. There are thousands of them out in the world, and to many owners, the QB-9 is still their favorite piece of audio gear. As part of our commitment to providing a lifetime of enjoyment from Ayre products, we are releasing an update for the QB-9 with the newest technology from the 8 series. The "Twenty" update for the QB-9 brings it back to the cutting edge of technology, giving QB-9 owners the excitement of discovering their music library all over again!

New QB-9 Twenty Features:  We have made a number of innovations since the release of the QB-9. Here is what has been improved with the Twenty update:

  • Diamond output circuit improves musicality and bass response.
  • A new JFET differential stage lowers the noise floor.
  • AyreLock power supply regulation for better rendering of fine musical detail.
  • New AC noise filtering for improved resolution.
  • Custom Ayre Asynchronous USB technology further reducing electrical noise in the system.
  • New ESS DAC chip for improved signal to noise ratio and spacial detail.
  • Six layer board design for optimal circuit isolation.
  • Proprietary reclocking to eliminate USB domain jitter.
  • PCM play back up to 384 kHz
  • Native DSD capability up to DSD256 (4x)
  • HDCD decoding

Retail Available QB-9 Twenty Upgrade. $1,500 August”.

This new Ayre QB-9 Twenty Upgrade looks very interesting. I wonder how it sounds.


hgeifman
beetlemania
834 posts
 
Anyone heard this yet?
Reports starting to come in now (link).

beetlemania
834 posts
 
Got my Twenty upgrade back yesterday. I intend to let it burn in for a week or more before doing any critical listening but my initial impression is a cleaner, more open and unbounded sound.
marktrav
24 posts
 
@beetlemania  

Yes??? And???? It's been 13 days since you posted.... 😁
beetlemania
834 posts
 
@marktrav
Approaching the 400 hour mark. I think the upgrade is settled in but someone on another forum posted that it needs 500+ hours to fully reveal its character.

My initial impression is unchanged although the Twenty does sound better now than cold out out the box. To my ears, in my system and room, the main improvements are 1) improved clarity and resolution and 2) an expanded, almost unbounded, soundstage. The overall effect brings a refined sound that makes it even easier to relax into the music. I always considered the DSD version be be excellent but the Twenty is a notable step up. 

The increased clarity makes it easier to hear individual voices and instruments during complex passages. The added resolution adds a bit more texture all around; performers and instruments are more “fleshy”. This is most obvious in the midrange but I also hear improvement in the bass and, to a lesser extent, the treble. Perhaps this is the result of even quieter backgrounds? Well recorded music is revealed on a more dimensional and defined soundstage. And there seems to be no aspect of performance that is a step backwards from the DSD version. Nice!

This could be my final equipment upgrade; retirement is on the horizon and it would take a LOT of money to significantly improve the sound my system is now giving me. Kudos to Ayre for upgrading a discontinued (?) product.
gareneau
110 posts
 
Frankly, Beetlemania, I don’t hear a wow factor in your appraisal of the upgrade. I’m not intending to sound overly negative but for $1,500 I’d have thought there would be a more noticeable improvement. 
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