Ayre QX-5 Twenty to be announced @ Munich 2016

[ylee]

Originally Posted by Blackstone

From what I have heard, from others not personally, is that codex is more than just a little better than the QB-9. So as it stands they have a pretty good DAC in the codex right now, with two inputs. I doubt QB-9 will remain in the product lineup untouched. I have a QB-9 DSD, which I think is phenomenal, but this QX-5 is taking its place.

There is nothing wrong with QB-9 DSD's sound at all and frankly I can hardly imagine how anything can be that much better. But when Ayre says something is good it usually is pretty freakin' good and just can't resist, although QB-9 is really all the DAC I need.

What ultimately sold me on QX-5 is the possibilities it opens up. Digital volume control means cutting out a line stage preamp and a set of interconnects which could potentially bottleneck performance. It might mean cutting out a dedicated headphone amp and that set of interconnects. Roon and ethernet cuts out the computer as a source and means unit can play so long as the material is on the network. That gives me back my stereo as a device that operates without my computer and jriver being on and set up just so, which sort of hijacked my HTPC which gets other use. But it still has the async USB so I can feed it all my computer audio. Toslink means game consoles and cable boxes get fed into the unit from my TV's digital out--currently the only way to get that sound into my stereo since those units have no analog output.

One button and headphones are on? Even my wife approved of that simplicity.

But the real value is the digital preamp. It opens up a world of upgrade potential. You can go dac only mode and add a really good line stage or integrated AX-5 Twenty. Or You can skip a line stage and get a nice power amp...VX-5? Add line stage pre later or not at all. If you are ramping up you have a few paths. It really has sparked my interest in the high end. It is hard to call anything at this price range a good value, but this may prove to be if it all works. And knowing Ayre, performance will be punching above its weight class approaching or perhaps into dCS territory. Are they finally getting into the ring, with the dCS "ring" dac? I hope so.

Sounds like Ayre is putting out a DAC/Pre similar to the Classe CP-800, which I also own. The Classe has an analog bypass mode which I use with the QB-9. Overall I prefer the Ayre sound but in terms of sound quality the two brands sit pretty high in the audio firmament. These are exciting times for digital audio given the technology is still in its relative infant stage compared to analog. I will audition the QX-5 when it comes out and hope that Ayre updates the QB-9 as well.

[Dr Tone]

I'd like to see the USB be bidirectional for needle dropping.

[ctsooner]

Was told that the Nyquist from Brinkmann and the Ayre are very serious DAC's. I have will put the QX-5/Twenty up against my Empirical Audio OSDE/SE with all the upgrades when it gets to the dealer and is burned in. Like so many on this forum, I have Vandersteen. I use the Treo's, but will upgrade to Quatro's as soon as the Treo's are sold. i use AQ cabling too like many of you along with an AX-5/Twenty, so my system is very much like many of you just not quite as high end. Can't wait to get them all up against each other.

[Tomictime]

CT the Nyquist MQA is due to USA in 4Q 2016..... Still no word from Aesthetix on path they will take w Pandora...

[Blackstone]

I wonder if this thing is going to live up to expectations. I love my QB-9 DSD so I can't imagine what this thing sounds like. In my experience with Ayre, 200 hours of glide tones and random noise, with some Bela Fleck and the Flecktones mixed in will open it up. The QB-9 DSD changed quite a bit over break in. So much so that I didn't like it all that much out of the box so I set it aside, went on vacation and ran the break in procedure while I was gone. Came back a week later and it sounded completely different.

Nothing is better than a new dac that makes your whole music library sound new! The thing looks like it could crush a QB-9, literally. Is that a heavy chassis? This will be my first five series piece.

[ctsooner]

Originally Posted by Tomictime

CT the Nyquist MQA is due to USA in 4Q 2016..... Still no word from Aesthetix on path they will take w Pandora...

The Pandora and Romulous are now the Eclipse generation. That is heir upgrade for now. This QX-5 is going to be very special according to someone I trust. Once they get the new chips available they can ramp up production. It just doesn't have a built storage so you still need a top NAS. Ayre knows how to do both digital filtering as well as analog. Very few companies fully get both right. I have the Empirical Audio fully tricked out and will need to put both against each other to se if I sell the OSDE/SE to upgrade. Ayre won't do MQA in the first run as they want to se if it's going to take off or be like other great formats that didn't sustain.

[scottsol]

For those who just can't wait, the North American debut of the QX-5 will be at Audio Consultants (I work there) in Evanston Illinois ( Chicago area ) on Saturday June 18 from 11 to 5. Alex Brinkman of Ayre will be there to demonstrate the unit and answer questions.

Alex will then bring his sample to Music Lovers in Berkeley California the following Saturday.

[Blackstone]

So apparently I will have the opportunity to hear QX-5 Twenty on June 18, 2016. I will report my findings!

[Masterlu]

scottsol... Welcome to AA!

[Blackstone]

They picked the right place to debut it. Audio Consultants is the real deal!