The Computer Audiophile Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 View full article Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Kelly Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Good review, concise and to the point that it's a major upgrade. Just curious, any chance you will review the other Ayre pieces they sent you? The Vx-5 is on my wish list... Roon ->UltraRendu + CI Audio 7v LPS-> Kii Control -> Kii Three Roon->BMC UltraDAC->Mr Speakers Aeon Flow Open Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted January 29, 2014 Author Share Posted January 29, 2014 Hi Kelly - No chance. That gear was needed elsewhere and was sent back :~( Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
Claude Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Great Review Chris! cant wait to get mine updated! claude Link to comment
PrTv Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Great review! Can you please give your impression about how this Dac fares against other Dac(s) in your system, in particular, Auralic Vega and EMM Labs DAC2X? Link to comment
Freann Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Thanks Chris, great review. Roon client on iPad/MacBookPro Roon Server & HQPlayer on Mac Mini 2.0 GHz i7 with JS-2 LPS-1 & ultraRendu → Lampizator Atlantic → Bent Audio TAP-X → Atma-sphere M60 → Zero autoformers → Harbeth Compact 7 ES-3 Link to comment
Pamplona62 Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Great review! Can you please give your impression about how this Dac fares against other Dac(s) in your system, in particular, Auralic Vega and EMM Labs DAC2X? Chris, it would be helpful to hear your comparative impressions. Link to comment
Jud Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Very nice read, Chris, thanks. Know what you mean about Old Ideas, "close-miked" is an understatement. Really like the album. Some fun lyrics, like calling himself "a brief elaboration of a tube." One never knows, do one? - Fats Waller The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. - Einstein Computer, Audirvana -> optical Ethernet to Fitlet3 -> Fibbr Alpha Optical USB -> iFi NEO iDSD DAC -> Apollon Audio 1ET400A Mini (Purifi based) -> Vandersteen 3A Signature. Link to comment
Vangelis Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Chris, very nice review. I do agree with others that the 800 pound gorilla in room is the Auralic Vega which sells for just a few hundred dollars more and would have been the ideal DAC to compare against. TP-LInk 1200 WiFi router>Transparent Audio ethernet cable>Innuos PhoenixNet Switch>Muon Pro ethernet cable>Muon Pro>Grimm Mu2>AudioQuest Dragon XLR>NAD M23> Falcon 2024 Limited Edition LS35a & REL T7Xi sub. Synergistic Research Atmosphere Excite SX powers cords>Puritan Audio 156 pwr conditioner W/Ground Master City. Link to comment
beetlemania Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Combined these factors eliminated any need for power related tweaks to my computers during this review period. I keep about a dozen computers around here for testing with different software and hardware. One of these PCs emits so much electrical noise through its USB port that I can't use it with just any DAC. This PC is the ultimate test of USB isolation. Connected to most DACs I can easily hear all kinds of garbage as if five refrigerators were sharing the same power outlet with my audio system. However, when I connect this electrically noisy computer to the QB-9 DSD I hear silence through the speakers. Chris, I'm curious to know more. I have a QB-9 (upgraded to DSD status) and have found it more-or-less "immune" to computer-side tweaks. The things I've tried have made little to no difference, much less an improvement in SQ (good thing it already sounds superb!). I've been curious to try a linear PS for my PC and the SoTM USB card but, given my experience so far, am reluctant to spend $$ that could otherwise go to more hi-res music. Could you say more about the "power related tweaks" you tried with the QB-9? For example, did your Red Wine PS make a difference? Did your noisy PC sound just as good as your your CAPS or MacBook? Thanks for the review! Roon ROCK (Roon 1.7; NUC7i3) > Ayre QB-9 Twenty > Ayre AX-5 Twenty > Thiel CS2.4SE (crossovers rebuilt with Clarity CSA and Multicap RTX caps, Mills MRA-12 resistors; ERSE and Jantzen coils; Cardas binding posts and hookup wire); Cardas and OEM power cables, interconnects, and speaker cables Link to comment
all300b Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Nice review. This product has lots of appeal due to great engineering and expertise from Ayre in both digital and analog. The most interesting comparison- to me- would be to a Wavelength Cosecant with the Sabre option. Same asynchronous USB code, I think the same USB isolation strategy…. many shared constants, with the major variable being transistor versus tube output (which I usually prefer). Also interested in comparison with the EMM just for the sake of curiosity - the Ayre has a top-notch USB interface, full isolation on the inputs, an advanced power supply and discrete analog output stage derived from years of experience, very good clocks, and a good DAC chip - how do you significantly improve on this? Link to comment
Claude Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Beetlemania +1 My 2009 mini needs replacement, is getting unstable and have been thinking about powertweaks a lot. Claude Link to comment
veindoc Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 as a happy owner of QB-9 DSD dac (got t 3 months ago)and CR-1 speakers I can also second the sonic bliss and texture of this dac. Just curious how the Ayre compares sonically to the Lumin setup in your opinion. I currently use A Vortexbox and Lagoon Caps but my buddies r pushing the virtues of a single Lumin setup. thnx much, Nick Link to comment
Onkle Je Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Chris, I'm curious to know more. I have a QB-9 (upgraded to DSD status) and have found it more-or-less "immune" to computer-side tweaks. The things I've tried have made little to no difference, much less an improvement in SQ (good thing it already sounds superb!). I've been curious to try a linear PS for my PC and the SoTM USB card but, given my experience so far, am reluctant to spend $$ that could otherwise go to more hi-res music. Could you say more about the "power related tweaks" you tried with the QB-9? For example, did your Red Wine PS make a difference? Did your noisy PC sound just as good as your your CAPS or MacBook? Thanks for the review! I'm also very interested in this subject, having to deal with a couple of switch-mode power supplies (one for my MacBook pro and one for my external hard drive). It seems like - as for beetlemania - everything I tried made no difference for the QB-9 DSD, thanks to its own USB power supplies. The pollution produced by switch-mode power supplies within the domestic AC power is another story. Link to comment
LaurentS Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Thank you for the review. I am looking to upgrade from my M2tech Young DAC and this one is definitely on my list. At $3,250 it would be in my price range. The problem is that the retail price here in France is $5,200. Link to comment
ajay556 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 When i see a short review that does not compare other products....i tend to feel the reviewer is simply pandering to the sponsors. I really like this site and especially for being able to provide feedback like this. But i feel the reviews are getting shorter and steering away from revealing any weakness to upset the sponsors. just my two cents... Thanks! Music after life Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 When i see a short review that does not compare other products....i tend to feel the reviewer is simply pandering to the sponsors. I really like this site and especially for being able to provide feedback like this. But i feel the reviews are getting shorter and steering away from revealing any weakness to upset the sponsors. just my two cents... Thanks! Thanks for the honest feedback. Quantity of words has nothing to do with quality or reader attention spans. As you can see the number of requests for comparisons are many and cover several components. There is no way to write the "perfect" review comparing all the components people would like to see. Here I made a decision and went with it. Please note Ayre isn't an advertiser on CA. Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
ajay556 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Thanks for the honest feedback. Quantity of words has nothing to do with quality or reader attention spans. As you can see the number of requests for comparisons are many and cover several components. There is no way to write the "perfect" review comparing all the components people would like to see. Here I made a decision and went with it. Please note Ayre isn't an advertiser on CA. Fair enough and point taken. Looking forward to more reviews...thanks! Music after life Link to comment
goldsdad Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Chris, thanks for the review. Which did you prefer - the QB-9 DSD or the similarly priced Auralic Vega via its USB input? Link to comment
MikeJazz Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Thank you for the review. I am looking to upgrade from my M2tech Young DAC and this one is definitely on my list. At $3,250 it would be in my price range. The problem is that the retail price here in France is $5,200. That is strange Laurent, and quite a disappoitment. I expect that in Portugal the price will be about 3500 EUR, so one of us is very wrong...we should expect minor swings of price within EU....The converted US retail price is 2400 EUR... http://www.computeraudiophile.com/members/mikejazz/ funded this campain: http://igg.me/at/geekpulseaudio/x/5216671 Link to comment
Paul R Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Excellent review - the QB9-DSD just went on the upgrade list. -Paul Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never dealt with a cat DAC. Robert A. Heinlein Link to comment
LBob Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 Excellent review - the QB9-DSD just went on the upgrade list. -Paul It's well worth the price. 2012 MacMini 8G ram -> Audirvana + 3.0 -> Mcintosh MHA 100> Nordost > Audeze LCD X Link to comment
realhifi Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 The QB9 is a dandy. Good to see more recognition. As to some of your disk selections. Jewel was hardly what you would call homeless. She trained right down the road from me at Interlochen Arts Academy where she learned to play guitar while there training in operatic voice. Sure, she like many, played clubs while living from place to place but homeless? Hardly. She was only 20 when she got her first big recording contract. If you are looking for more Mark Knopfler look no further than the soundtrack to "Local Hero" which is gorgeously atmospheric and recorded beautifully. It is a real gem in his catalogue. David Link to comment
The Computer Audiophile Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 The QB9 is a dandy. Good to see more recognition. As to some of your disk selections. Jewel was hardly what you would call homeless. She trained right down the road from me at Interlochen Arts Academy where she learned to play guitar while there training in operatic voice. Sure, she like many, played clubs while living from place to place but homeless? Hardly. She was only 20 when she got her first big recording contract. If you are looking for more Mark Knopfler look no further than the soundtrack to "Local Hero" which is gorgeously atmospheric and recorded beautifully. It is a real gem in his catalogue. homeless? Yes. From -> Jewel - Official Website :: About "I drifted after I graduated. No plans for college. Ended up in San Diego where I answered phones in a computer warehouse. My boss fired me because I wouldn’t sleep with him, and I ended up homeless for a year. I kept writing songs, and started singing in a local coffee shop called The Inner Change Cafe. I developed a loyal following. No one knew I was homeless. A radio station decided to put a bootleg of me on the air and a record label heard it. Soon after, a lot of limousines started pulling up and guys in suits came to watch me sing. There was a bidding war between several labels for me! I couldn’t believe it! I went with the label that didn’t want me to change and let me be a simple songwriter." Founder of Audiophile Style | My Audio Systems Link to comment
satbox Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Hello, I have a C.A.P.S. v3 Carbon and I'm very interested by this new QB-9 DSD. Is the DAC fully compatible with the USB 3.0 of the SOtM tX-USBexp? Didier Link to comment
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