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How good is the Ayre DX-5 Universal as a CD player

A huge part of my listening is with DVD concert videos. Right now I have a great Universal player, modded Faroudja DVP4000, but it does not play Blu-Ray. To me, the Ayre DX-5 is the perfect player, it does everything including Blu-Ray. However, how good is the audio section of the Ayre? I have searched the reviews and forums, sent out emails, and everyone raves about the Ayre.......but at all times they are raving about it compared to good players! I want to know how it compares to great players! How does it compare to say an Esoteric player, or Burmester, MBL, etc., with respect to audio?

The only reason I am considering the Ayre, is for the Blu-Ray option! Perhaps I should forget about Blu-Ray and put my money in a high end DAC and keep the Universal I have!? Would the Ayre compete with a DAC like say the Lampizator, or an MBL or Esoteric DAC? Is the audio on a Blu-Ray concert any better than the audio on a DVD?
bullot
bullot OP
128 posts
 
Thanks for the info Tmsorosk............I assume the "upscale" DAC must be noticably better than the CD5, and therefore the DX5, to your ears and in your system. So......what is the upscale DAC and how much better is it??
tmsorosk
1,013 posts
 
Hello Bullot . The DAC I chose after much research and many auditions was the Audio Research DAC8 . It adds a bit of warmth and roundness that the CD5 , KX-R preamp , Levinson power amp combination missed . The improvements are small , yet seem important when we listen . Some of my analog loving friends feel it removes the digital edge that they seem to hear . I was using a Levinson #360s DAC , but it added to much warmth and just messed with the original signal a bit to much . Now I'm demoing some different digital links between the transport and DAC , the Madrigal I'm using is good but some of the links I've tried show marked improvements , haven't found just the right one yet .
Regards Tim
bullot OP
128 posts
 
Thanks Tim! I was on the digital trip a few years ago. Had the Levinson 37 and 360s as well.......tried too many digital ic's between them to remember, including the Madrigal.......which is a great cable for the money. Then there was power cords to each one, gets expensive! So I decided to go the one box route! I am starting to think that in the higher end of high end digital it's all pretty close, just different flavours. With respect to digital ic's, I had and liked the Stealth Varadig Sextet....a friend of mine tried it on my recommendation and ended up with the MIT Max, saying the Stealth was not even close!
Shane
alfa100's avatar
alfa100
216 posts
 
hello Tim,
which glass optical digital cable were you trying.
i am researching same and heard of the AURAL OPTISM LOTUS.Do you have a recommendation. sorry to drift topic a little
tmsorosk
1,013 posts
 
Alfa , I have not had very good luck with optical cables , they sound a whisker thin and sterile for my taste's . I've preferred the XLR type cable's in my music makers last few incarnations . The XLR cable made it feel like something had been removed between the musicians and me . So far we've tried the Audio Quest - Raven , Shunyada's -Anaconda and a new one from Cardas , can't remember the model .
Of the three we tried all were an improvement over the Madrigal link that I have always liked . Talk about passive tone controls .
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