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Ayre QB-9 Twenty upgrade


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Update received last week from Gary:  "We do have QB-9 Twenty main Audio boards in now (they arrived late Tuesday) and are moving right along with the upgrades."

Main System: Mac mini (Audirvana+, MMK, JS-2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1) -> Icron 2201 (Rex LPS-1.2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1.2) -> Ayre QB-9 Twenty -> Headamp GS-X Mk2 -> Classe CT-M600 -> KEF Reference 201/2

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Picked mine up yesterday.  Right out of the box it's clearly a significant upgrade. :D:D:D

 

Was pleasantly surprised that Ayre would offer such an upgrade to the discontinued QB-9.  A big shout-out to Ayre for offering it.

Main System: Mac mini (Audirvana+, MMK, JS-2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1) -> Icron 2201 (Rex LPS-1.2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1.2) -> Ayre QB-9 Twenty -> Headamp GS-X Mk2 -> Classe CT-M600 -> KEF Reference 201/2

 

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  • 1 month later...
1 hour ago, CG said:

For some reason, I cannot make the system work now with the ISO Regen.  No communication at all, no matter what order I plug things in and turn things on.  That's the bad news.  The good news is that I'm not sure the ISO Regen is needed now or would even help.  The aspects of the sound that the ISO Regen previously improved are already much better with the streaming computer now connected directly to the QB-9 Twenty through the very same cable as used previously.  Yeah, I'd like to solve the mystery of why the ISO Regen won't work now (I did make certain the switch on the USPCB adaptor was set in the right position to power the QB-9 Twenty's USB section) but, maybe in the end it won't matter.  Sometimes less can be more.

 

This is curious.  FYI - I have no problems using the ISO Regen with mine.  Still think it makes a difference in my system.

Main System: Mac mini (Audirvana+, MMK, JS-2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1) -> Icron 2201 (Rex LPS-1.2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1.2) -> Ayre QB-9 Twenty -> Headamp GS-X Mk2 -> Classe CT-M600 -> KEF Reference 201/2

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 11/10/2019 at 10:30 AM, Ryan Berry said:

Hey All,

 

My apologies for replying so late.  I was hit by a pretty bad bug recently, which but me out of commission right when the firmware update for the QB-9 was completed.  As mentioned, yes, we have released a firmware update after the first 40ish units of the QB-9 were released.  There's an error cycle that happens on roughly 5% of the units that is causing it to be a little over-sensitive in detecting an error.  Fortunately, it's not indicative of anything like unstable power, etc. coming into the unit and is fixable through a firmware update.  The update itself requires a 5/64" hex driver to open the unit, a USB flash stick, and enough knowledge to unzip a file and not touch the metal bits when you have the unit open and powered on; but I'm happy to work with anyone to help them update their unit themselves or get the unit back to Ayre to be updated for them.

 

If you're wanting to do the update yourself, the quickest way to get ahold of me is probably through here.  Please include your email address and I'll send the file and instructions over to you.  Thanks to everyone for helping us pick up the bug.  We try to put in a number of protections in all of our gear to protect the systems they're installed in, but we were a bit over-cautious on this one.  I'm quite confident that with the update the units will be working as expected for you.

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Berry 

 

Hi Ryan,

 

Just got back home after 2 months in Tucson - now experiencing connectivity issues, including the usb cycling, that might be related to this.  Received mine back in mid October, so guessing my unit be one of the affected ones.  Weird that it was stable before I left town.  I would be fine performing the update myself.   I'll PM you with contact details.

 

Paul

Main System: Mac mini (Audirvana+, MMK, JS-2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1) -> Icron 2201 (Rex LPS-1.2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1.2) -> Ayre QB-9 Twenty -> Headamp GS-X Mk2 -> Classe CT-M600 -> KEF Reference 201/2

 

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Hi Ryan,

 

A huge thanks for sending me the updated firmware and instructions.  Updating the QB-9 last night was simple - took only a few minutes end to end.  Everything has been rock solid since the update.

 

Once again, Thank You!

 

Paul

Main System: Mac mini (Audirvana+, MMK, JS-2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1) -> Icron 2201 (Rex LPS-1.2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1.2) -> Ayre QB-9 Twenty -> Headamp GS-X Mk2 -> Classe CT-M600 -> KEF Reference 201/2

 

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  • 10 months later...
On 12/5/2020 at 9:17 PM, PrTv said:

Comparing with the old DSD version, at this mark I can observe improvement in details and instrument separation, but high is still a bit harsh to my ears. For those who upgraded their units before me (e.g. CG or beetlemania), how long does it take till you feel the unit stabilized, and do you see any improvement in high frequency (less harsh and more define)?

 

I pretty much agree with everything @beatlemania wrote.  

 

For me, initially right out of the box it didn't sound that great.  But after 48 hours it was clearly better than the DSD version in every way.  Any changes since then have only solidified that view.

 

I too would be surprised if the upgrade could be botched, as it is a complete board replacement.  Not much to go wrong there.

 

The most striking change to me was the transparency, with the much darker backgrounds.  Stepping out on a limb here, but I wonder if there is something about your digital source that the DSD version obscured and the greater transparency of the Twenty version allows you to notice.  Doubtful.  What source are you using to feed the QB-9?

Main System: Mac mini (Audirvana+, MMK, JS-2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1) -> Icron 2201 (Rex LPS-1.2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1.2) -> Ayre QB-9 Twenty -> Headamp GS-X Mk2 -> Classe CT-M600 -> KEF Reference 201/2

 

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3 hours ago, beetlemania said:

FWIW, I'm going straight from my Roon ROCK to the QB-9. From my reading, the QB-9 has more isolation than most DACs. What say you, Tone Deaf? Have you listened with and without the ISO Regen feeding the QB-9?

@beetlemania, agree with you regarding isolation.  Ayre designed the QB-9 with galvanic isolation on the USB input, starting with the first generation QB-9, which may have been the first time this was done with any DAC.  Ayre redesigned it again on the DSD version, and again on the Twenty version.  But even with galvanic isolation, I have never found any version of the QB-9 to be immune to changes to the source.

 

I performed most of my structured testing / listening with the DSD version.  To my ears, even the original Regen made subtle improvements to the sound of the QB-9.  The ISO Regen improved things further, and improving the power feeding the ISO Regen improved things further yet.  Modifying the Mac mini to use dc power resulted in comparable improvements.

 

I haven't performed any structured testing with the Twenty version - I just put the Twenty version back into my system without changing anything.  But  few months after getting the Twenty back into my system, I had an ISO Regen / LPS-1.2 die due to a faulty power brick (all replaced under warranty by Uptone).  Lets just say, going back to a standard Regen / LPS-1 was a bit of a let down, and I was quite happy to get the ISO Regen / LPS-1.2 back into the system.  

 

So in my experience, the Twenty version is sensitive to upstream source changes.  I believe@barrows suggestion is a valid one if someone wants to get a bit more performance out of the QB-9, and they are not using a specialized renderer, and possibly even if they are.  Adding one also just might take the "edge" off something about the sound such as @PrTv is experiencing - my guess is he is hearing some type of noise making it thru to the DAC, and an ISO Regen might clean much of that up.  I've also used MBP's with the QB-9 - they were not immune to USB improvements either.

 

 

Main System: Mac mini (Audirvana+, MMK, JS-2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1) -> Icron 2201 (Rex LPS-1.2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1.2) -> Ayre QB-9 Twenty -> Headamp GS-X Mk2 -> Classe CT-M600 -> KEF Reference 201/2

 

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21 minutes ago, beetlemania said:

Shortly after I got my QB-9 (originally a 24/192 version, ie, pre-DSD), I compared the sonics using my CAPS-inspired server to a PC laptop and MBP as the source. I also tried at least 6 music players on my server (JRMC, foobar, et al.). I heard tiny differences and none I felt merited further inve$tment. I know I’m in the minority around here.

 

But your experience has me wondering about the ISO Regen . . .

 

I don't want to completely derail this thread with talk about USB improvements, but at least this is mostly with regard to the QB-9.

 

Some folks find the changes from the ISO Regen to be subtle, and others find them to be quite significant.  I'm probably somewhere in between.  Mostly a blacker background, resulting in a more relaxed sound and the other expected changes due to the darker background.  Some find the change to make the music less exciting - noise can make music artificially "sound" brighter.  I simply found music with the ISO Regen to be noticeably more natural, which is my highest priority when listening.  There is an impressions thread on the UpTone sub-forum if you want to read more.

 

There isn't much risk in giving an ISO Regen a try.  Uptone has a 30 day trial policy, and you would only be out shipping should you decide the differences were not significant enough to justify keeping.  Being from Thailand, @PrTv would have larger shipping hassles and costs should he decide to try one and end up not keeping it.  

Main System: Mac mini (Audirvana+, MMK, JS-2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1) -> Icron 2201 (Rex LPS-1.2) -> ISO Regen (LPS-1.2) -> Ayre QB-9 Twenty -> Headamp GS-X Mk2 -> Classe CT-M600 -> KEF Reference 201/2

 

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