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RE: John Atkinson's review of the Ayre QX-5 Twenty

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Charles Hansen

In Reply to: RE: John Atkinson's review of the Ayre QX-5 Twenty posted by John Atkinson on September 02, 2017 at 04:13:53

>> I was using Roon on a Mac
mini that was first connected to the QX-5 via USB, then sending the same
data over the network. <<

Hi John,

There is an interesting point to these comparisons - try as we might, we still haven't figured out how to make the DAC completely invulnerable to to quality of the source device. In this case you were comparing the USB with a Mac Mini against an Ethernet connection. The Ethernet connection also has a computer - in this case it is a small ARM processor running a stripped-down version of Linux with special Ayre- designedclocks and power supplies.

In the system at the Ayre factory the USB input using a Melco server sounds better than the Ethernet input - but in that case the modem is at least 200' away and the network has about 20 computers and servers with a lot of traffic and old CAT 5 wiring.

The best way to get a handle on how good your computer set is working is to compare it to a CD/SACD transport (preferably with a linear power supply). The QX-5 Twenty has a patent-pending asynchronous S/PDIF circuit that completely eliminates the jitter S/PDIF always generates. If you unplug all of your computer equipment - and don't forget the Wi-Fi router - (including the AC mains power so that the switching power supplies are not dumping garbage onto the AC mains), you can get a baseline level of performance, preferably using a Toslink input as then any RFI from the transport can't get into the input. With a linear power supply (and turning off the transport's display, if possible) you will be hearing the digital audio data without any computer generated noise whatsoever.

Then you can see how close your computer setup approaches the relatively RFI-free S/PDIF connection. (You may remember when John Bicht was importing the MicroMega CD players from France and he would run around your house and unplug all of the things with a microprocessor built in - digital clocks, computers and so forth. Nowadays they are in your microwave oven, your dishwasher, your refigerator, your sprinkler timer, your garage-door opener, and on and on and on and on.)

Hope this helps,
Charles Hansen

Follow Ups:

RE: John Atkinson's review of the Ayre QX-5 Twenty - John Atkinson 12:43:08 09/03/17 (3)
> In the system at the Ayre factory the USB input using a Melco server sounds
> better than the Ethernet input - but in that case the modem is at least
> 200' away and the network has about 20 computers and servers with a lot of
> traffic and old CAT 5 wiring.

My network router is just 8' from both the Mac mini and the QX-5 Twenty
and the only other things on are my MacBook Pro, a NAS, and an HP printer.
Ethernet cable is AudioQuest Vodka, which I think is equivalent to CAT-6.
(I could be wrong.)

> The best way to get a handle on how good your computer set is working is to
> compare it to a CD/SACD transport (preferably with a linear power supply).

I use my 2005 sample of the Ayre C5xeMP as a transport, and yes, the sound
of that playing CDs over S/PDIF to the QX-5 Twenty has a little more of
what Art Dudley calls "force" compared with the computer on either USB or
Ethernet. But . . . I love using Roon as my playback app.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile
- I love using Roon as my playback app. - Rod M 18:31:37 09/03/17 (2)
  I'm smiling. Convenience trumps that last ounce of perfection.
  
  -Rod
  - RE: I love using Roon as my playback app. - Charles Hansen 22:54:49 09/03/17 (0)
    > > Convenience trumps that last ounce of perfection. < <
    
    Hi Rod,
    
    I can get that. I remember when green paint pens were the big thing. I treated about 3 CDs - all around the perimeter, all around the center hole, and even in the little groove near the center hole. Did it make a difference? Yes. Was it worth the time, expense, and hassle? No.
    
    Another one was the "Display Off" button on the CX-5e. Did it sound better with the display off? Yes. Did I ever bother to do it? Rarely.
    
    At some point you just want to be able to sit down with your favorite beverage, press "Play", and enjoy the music. That's why Ayre never put things on like "absolute polarity switches" or anything designed to increase "audiophile nervosa".
    
    Same thing when buying a new phono cartridge. I'll spend hours setting it up the best I can. Then every day for a few days I'll tweak some setting on the arm. This will go on and on (but less and less frequently) for a couple of weeks. Then at some point I'll just relax and be happy. I don't want to have to adjust the VTA for every single album - it's just not worth it to me, even though I've heard the improvements that kind of thing can make. Too old and lazy, I guess.
    
    Cheers,
    Charles Hansen
  - RE: I love using Roon as my playback app. - bigshow 18:41:53 09/03/17 (0)
    I disagree. If it doesn't improve sound quality, I won't spend money on it. Much to my dealer( of fine hifi equipment)'s chagrin's I don't own an Aurender just because of this.
    bigshow

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