Ayre DX-5 Preview

[cmalak]

looks like Ayre is using the Oppo BDP-83's transport and video section. Everything else in the audio domain will be Ayre. It had better be to justify its $8K-$10K expected price range. Check out the preview from Soundstage.com: SoundStage! - The Authority on High-End Audio - www.SoundStage.com

[jdandy]

cmalak.......How about that. My new Oppo BDP-83 is an heir to Ayre. I like it.

[Uberbrown]

Originally Posted by cmalak

looks like Ayre is using the Oppo BDP-83's transport and video section. Everything else in the audio domain will be Ayre. It had better be to justify its $8K-$10K expected price range. Check out the preview from Soundstage.com: SoundStage! - The Authority on High-End Audio - www.SoundStage.com

This is from an article called "Digital Metamorphosis." It is an article where the author has a conversation with Charles Hansen of Ayre.

When the video format war started, with HD-DVD on one side and Blu-Ray on the other, we said from the beginning that we would not make a new player until there was a clear winner and there was a platform available that could play all formats with a high level of performance. Some of the first Blu-Ray players wouldn't even play CDs! We wanted a player that would not only play both Blu-Ray and DVD but also all of the audio formats that are so important to our customers, including SACD and DVD-Audio.

We were very excited when Oppo announced just such a player. When we contacted them about the idea of working with them, they were extremely supportive. We have been absolutely thrilled with the level of performance they are able to provide in their base platform and we have been able to bring it to another level. The Oppo team has been fantastic, and they have made a lot of design decisions that makes our goal of providing the world's highest level of video and audio performance a reality.

For example, they chose the top video scaler chip from Anchor Bay Technology (ABT), which is what DVDO eventually morphed into. So once again we have come full circle and are again working with the brilliant team that got us started with our progressive-scan DVD player ten years ago! "What goes around, comes around."

But the Ayre DX-5 really represents an entirely new product category. With Blu-Ray it is unbelievable, but it will also give fantastic video quality on standard DVD's, thanks to the ABT video scaling chip. And for audio playback we can not only play every digital audio disc ever invented, but have also included a USB input for your computer using the jitter-free "asynchronous" USB transfer technology licensed from Wavelength.

Now we have a machine that will give not only the best possible video playback, but also serve as a state-of-the-art audio player plus be used as a music server in conjunction with your personal computer. Once again, I think we have hit upon a product that everybody wants. Simply hang a plasma or LCD screen betweenb your speakers and you can turn your stereo system into an incredible home theater. Then connect your computer to put all of your digital music at your fingertips. It is the only source component you need - unless you also enjoy vinyl. We couldn't fit that into the box also! I am confident that this will be another "homerun" for Ayre.

[Uberbrown]

Originally Posted by cmalak

looks like Ayre is using the Oppo BDP-83's transport and video section. Everything else in the audio domain will be Ayre. It had better be to justify its $8K-$10K expected price range. Check out the preview from Soundstage.com: SoundStage! - The Authority on High-End Audio - www.SoundStage.com

Elsewhere, Charlie Hansen wrote...

Then to make [the Oppo player] an Ayre, we dismantle it completely and recycle everything except the main PCB (with the video decoder, ABT scaler chip, and HDMI transmitter), the transport mechanism, the VFD display, and the remote control handset.

Next we re-build the main PCB. The big switching power supply only provides 5 VDC, then there are little mini-switching power supplies (called DC-DC converters) on the main PCB that turn the 5 VDC into 1.0 VDC, 1.1 VDC, 1.8 VDC, and 3.3 VDC. All of those are removed. There are also USB power switches that allow hot-plugging of USB devices. These are removed as they have another kind of DC-DC converter called a "charge pump".

All of the supplies are replaced with pure linear supplies with analog regulators. The USB power switches are replaced with devices without the charge pumps. Now we have gotten rid of seven noise sources that create high-frequency square waves with harmonics well out into the MHz region. Getting rid of all of that noise creates a visibly cleaner picture.

Next, we replace the low-quality master video clock with a VCXO. This becomes more important later on, as you will see.

Now we start adding things back in. First is our AyreLink communication system. It allows AyreLink equipped components to act as one big system. For example, turning on the player will turn on all of the downstream components as well as automatically select the correct input on the preamp. We also make an external RS-232 to AyreLink converter box for system controllers like Crestrons. The AyreLink system has opto-isolators between each component to avoid unwanted ground loops, which is why we don't use RS-232 inputs on any of our equipment.

Then we add a custom programmed FPGA on the front panel PCB to do some housekeeping. It intercepts the appropriate commands and translates them to operate the AyreLink system. It disables the internal volume control (which operates in the digital domain and degrades the sound) and instead routes the volume changes to an AyreLink equipped preamp. It also allows us to send custom messages to the front panel VFD display. So when the USB audio input is activated, it will report that on the front panel along with the sample rate of the received signal.

There are a bunch of boards added on the audio side. I say "side" because we literally split the player into two parts. There is a separate power transformer that runs all of the audio circuitry, which is separated from the video side by a bank of opto-isolators. So the audio and video "sides" have separate grounds that are completely galvanically isolated. This is the only way to get the best performance from either your audio system or your video system.

All video displays have switching power supplies that dump noise into your system in the absence of such isolation. There are also ground loops that are inevitably formed as there is no such thing as a balanced video connection. All of those problems go away with our isolation system.

The ten-channel audio board is replaced by a two-channel audio board. Everything on this board is top-quality, with discrete, fully balanced, zero-feedback audio circuitry and discrete, zero-feedback power supply regulators. There are improvements in both the parts quality and circuit design that give it even higher performance than the QB-9 USB DAC that was recently rated "Class A+" in Stereophile's recommended components issue. For two-channel disc playback (CD, SACD, DVD-Audio), the performance exceeds our $6,000 audio-only disc player.

We also add the USB audio input that allows you to connect your personal computer and turn your system into a music server. Your entire digital library (except SACD's, thank you very much Sony -- not!) can be stored on a hard drive and played back with the click of a mouse. So this one component can be the only source component that you need. This input is also connected via a bank of opto-isolators, so there is actually a *third* "side" to the system -- the video, the audio, and the computer. The noise from your computer and its switching power supply will not be connected to either your video or audio systems.

We also add a second audio-only HDMI connector. This is fed by the isolated signals on the audio "side" so that it won't contaminate your surround-sound system if you choose to connect one. It also supports the new "Audio Rate Control" (ARC) feature that is part of the HDMI 1.3a specifcation. This is a breakthrough for the surround-sound enthusiast, as HDMI is normally the worst way in the world to send audio data -- the jitter is even worse than the lowly S/PDIF connection.

But with ARC, the surround-sound processor uses a local crystal oscillator to provide a low-jitter clock to the DAC chips. Then there is a buffer that stores the incoming audio data. When the buffer is too full it sends a signal back upstream to the Blu-Ray player telling it to slow down the disc slightly. When the buffer is too empty, it asks the disc to speed up slightly. Now the audio clock is in charge, the way that it should be. (When the unit is running in two-channel mode, the local low-jitter, fixed-frequency crystal oscillator provides the master audio clock.)

With a modern digital display (plasma, LCD, LCOS, DLP, et cetera) jitter on the video signal does not matter. Since there is no conversion to analog, the digital signal values are simply stored in a frame buffer until needed.

Then the whole thing is put into a custom chassis made entirely from anodized aluminum and stainless steel. We want our products to look just as good 50 years from now as they do today. There are other people making Oppo "clones". One of them only replaces the chassis. Another replaces the power supply also. Nobody is rebuilding the complete player and adding the extra features and advanced technology that Ayre is.

As far as the value, it is up to you to determine that. I can't tell you how much an improved picture is worth. I can't tell you how much better sound is worth. I can't tell you how much the features we add are worth. You will have to decide that for yourself.

What I can tell you is that, just like all of our other products, they offer engineering and performance beyond what anyone else is offering, at a fair price that reflects our cost of manufacturing, and that we back up our products with both a strong network of the finest dealers on the planet and an incredible service policy.

Unlike other manufacturers that try to sell you a "new and improved" product every year or two, when we figure out a way to genuinely improve the performance of our existing products, we offer upgrades to current owners at very reasonable prices. Go to the Audio Asylum and check out some comments regarding our recent "MP" upgrades to the C-5xe and CX-7e disc players, for example.

If you want a great Blu-Ray player for an incredible price, buy the Oppo. If you want the best picture and sound quality in the world for your home theater and price is not a concern, check out the Ayre. And no, it will not be available in November, sorry. Early next year will be a better guess.

[TommyC]

Sounds like it's going to be a fine product.

[PHC1]

This is "super modding". I've know about this universal player for a while now. Since I also own the Oppo 83, I know it is a great platform upon which to do all the "mods". Video is stellar to begin with, I can just imagine what it looks like with all the upgrades. I am sure the audio will be nothing less than excellent as well.

[cmalak]

So Serge, if it offers the best of your Oppo BDP-83 on the video side and the best of audio from your C-5xeMP, will you retire those two new units and buy the DX-5, or does it have to better them in performance? I guess it gives you the added ability of using it as a stand-alone DAC with a computer/music server driving it as well, which your C-5xeMP does not allow you to do, so that is added functionality. What do you think?

[RodWelst]

Check the Oppo Digital website tomorrow,Monday 11-09-09.
The Oppo BDP-83SE will be announced. Oppo Digital

Also check out the AVS forum for a preview on the new Oppo "SE".
Oppo BDP-83SE Forum

[jdandy]

RodWelst.......Very interesting.

[TommyC]

Cool!