I'm using Roon to send files to the DX-5 DSD via USB. The sound is superb. Imagine access to nearly 700 albums at the click of a mouse!

db

I'm been running Roon bridge upstairs on my iMac for more than a month now. It sends files via UBS to an Ayre DX-5 DSD. The sound quality is excellent. In the process of ripping the rest of my discs, I been reevaluating some of my SACDs using the Ayre DX-5 DSD as a disc player. The sound is superb as I expected, and the depth of soundstage seems deeper than I remember with the C-5xeMP. Expect that it's black, I'm totally pleased with the used DX-5 DSD, both as a disc player and as a conduit for files from the computer. Not sure it's worth $500 and inconvenience to have Ayre change the case/chassis.

db

Display with USB input
 

The DX-5 DSD displays 96 kHz with USB from Roon bridge on my iMac, whereas the QX-5 Twenty displays either 44 or DSD with ethernet from Roon core on my Mac Mini. I realize USB can't transmit DSD, but why 96 kHz for everything?

db

I'd been enjoying sound from Roon bridge through the USB port of the DX-5 DSD rivaling that of the QX-5/20 in our other system, but for the last couple of weeks ago there has been no sound using the USB connection. Is there something to reset or do I need to send the DX-5 DSD to Ayre?

Turned out to be problem with my Roon setup. Somehow the DX-5 DSD got deselected as the endpoint.

The display shows 96 kHz when playing an MQA file from Tidal, which I think tells me Roon is doing the first unfolding. In the setup menu I have the DX-5 set as providing no MQA processing; I think that's the correct setting.

Perhaps my earlier post had an incorrect assertion. It seems as though DSD can be transmitted via USB, but my DX-5 DSD shows it as 88kHz, MQA files as 96 kHz. My QX-5 shows DSD.

After a long period of using my QX-5 Twenty as the endpoint for Roon bridge from an iMac, I plan to try USB to the DX-5 DSD from an ultraRendu Roon on the Ethernet, and move the QX-5 to the Mac Mini Roon core setup where it will replace a microRendu & Ayre Codex.