Qb-9 dsd

[Blackstone]

So has anyone heard the new DSD vesion?

[ChrisAZ]

Originally Posted by Blackstone

So has anyone heard the new DSD vesion?

My new cables arrive Monday. I promise to report in once they're hooked up. My Ayre QB-9 DSD is now fully broken in but mute awaiting the Wireworld XLR cables.

Sent from my iPad using A.Aficionado

[ChrisAZ]

OK, Blackstone, I promised that when I got my new interconnects and the Ayre QB-9 DSD fully broken in I'd post a report on whether it was an improvement over the original.

Well my preconditions are satisfied so here goes - but first a few caveats: This is obviously not a scientific A/B test since I didn't have the two units at the same time to compare. Aural memory is notoriously unreliable. I'm now using much better more expensive interconnects (4-5x the price of my old ones which had gone bad). I'm probably biased since I just dropped some coin on repairing and upgrading this unit (not to mention the investment in new interconnects). I have an ear infection in my right ear which, while not blocked, undoubtedly has a temporary effect on my hearing. I promise to do a better more complete report when my ear clears up. The moon was full (not really).

I listened to a variety of music (but no classical or jazz yet). Alison Krauss, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull (Thick as a Brick), Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton. The sources were ripped from a mix of high res downloads and CDs.

So, with that out of the way, let me just say wow. No, I mean WOW. The soundstage is wider and deeper, with a greater sense of space around each musician. The sound is more balanced, less forward, more analog sounding, more musical. There is no "digital" sound. It sounds less like I'm listening to a recording and more like a live performance. There's an increase in bass slam. Jennifer Warnes' live performance of Leonard Cohen's "Joan of Arc" from a Redbook CD had the hairs sticking up on my neck. My favorite test track - John Lee Hooker with Bonnie Raitt playing "I'm in the Mood" - was by far the best I'd ever heard it. Felt like I was in the studio with them and it gave me the chills. So I'd have to say that for me its a definite improvement and well worth the investment.

[Blackstone]

Is it the Famous Blue Raincoat CD you are talking about or a live album? If your interconnect is that much better then it is impossible to say what brings the improvement but the QB-9 is not bottlenecking the performance. Could be interconnect could be the new DAC. Both are critical. But you've got new analog circuitry in the dac so you have to figure at least some of what you are hearing is the source. Good interconnect could reveal weakness in the source but that does not seem to be the case here. Very cool. I'm in the cue for the update regardless.

[ChrisAZ]

Originally Posted by Blackstone

Is it the Famous Blue Raincoat CD you are talking about or a live album? If your interconnect is that much better then it is impossible to say what brings the improvement but the QB-9 is not bottlenecking the performance. Could be interconnect could be the new DAC. Both are critical. But you've got new analog circuitry in the dac so you have to figure at least some of what you are hearing is the source. Good interconnect could reveal weakness in the source but that does not seem to be the case here. Very cool. I'm in the cue for the update regardless.

Yes, it's the Famous Blue Raincoat CD (the bonus live cut from Belgium). Its not like my old cables sucked. I don't think a cable can improve a signal, just detract from one. Therefore, the dramatic sonic improvements I attribute to the Ayre, not the wire (the wire just lets more goodness through). But it's obvious that the cables are significantly helping out here too - I just wasn't able to A/B to say which was the source of some of the improvements. I had purposely not read any reviews of the DSD before posting, but I've done so now on the Computer Audiophile site and my observations are in line with the posters there (it's good to have validation).

[Blackstone]

I don't know, in my experience changing cables can be pretty dramatic. It can't improve the source of course but the effects can be dramatic. It is just like any other component.

Computer Audiophile has a review pending, for what it is worth. I am sure Stereophile will revisit the unit...for what it is worth. But, not a lot on the forums. They must be getting them out slowly.

Joan of Arc is a great track. Never heard the live version. Would like to see that one reissued in 192KHz.

[Robert_Anderson]

Can an older QB-9 be upgraded?

[Manbient]

Originally Posted by Robert_Anderson

Can an older QB-9 be upgraded?

you mean a 96/24 version? This is an upgrade available to all QB-9 of any generation I believe. I have one of the original 96/24 and I've been told it's no problem to get the upgrade, but since there is more that needs to be changed (essentially an upgrade to the 192/24 first, then the dsd upgrade) it costs more. I plan on getting it sometime over the next few months.

[Robert_Anderson]

Originally Posted by Manbient

you mean a 96/24 version? This is an upgrade available to all QB-9 of any generation I believe. I have one of the original 96/24 and I've been told it's no problem to get the upgrade, but since there is more that needs to be changed (essentially an upgrade to the 192/24 first, then the dsd upgrade) it costs more. I plan on getting it sometime over the next few months.

Thanks, I would probably splurge and get all of it done at once if possible.

[skyblue]

Originally Posted by ChrisAZ

OK, Blackstone, I promised that when I got my new interconnects and the Ayre QB-9 DSD fully broken in I'd post a report on whether it was an improvement over the original.

Well my preconditions are satisfied so here goes - but first a few caveats: This is obviously not a scientific A/B test since I didn't have the two units at the same time to compare. Aural memory is notoriously unreliable. I'm now using much better more expensive interconnects (4-5x the price of my old ones which had gone bad). I'm probably biased since I just dropped some coin on repairing and upgrading this unit (not to mention the investment in new interconnects). I have an ear infection in my right ear which, while not blocked, undoubtedly has a temporary effect on my hearing. I promise to do a better more complete report when my ear clears up. The moon was full (not really).

I listened to a variety of music (but no classical or jazz yet). Alison Krauss, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull (Thick as a Brick), Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton. The sources were ripped from a mix of high res downloads and CDs.

So, with that out of the way, let me just say wow. No, I mean WOW. The soundstage is wider and deeper, with a greater sense of space around each musician. The sound is more balanced, less forward, more analog sounding, more musical. There is no "digital" sound. It sounds less like I'm listening to a recording and more like a live performance. There's an increase in bass slam. Jennifer Warnes' live performance of Leonard Cohen's "Joan of Arc" from a Redbook CD had the hairs sticking up on my neck. My favorite test track - John Lee Hooker with Bonnie Raitt playing "I'm in the Mood" - was by far the best I'd ever heard it. Felt like I was in the studio with them and it gave me the chills. So I'd have to say that for me its a definite improvement and well worth the investment.

What cables did you get from Wireworld?