Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty – The Digital Hub

All of Jordan's ( Blackstone) files were Flacs so he can't comment on DSD.

 

The QX-5 was set up Friday evening and , being dead cold, sounding thin and bright. We kept it playing overnight, and while much better in the morning, wasn't really right until late Saturday afternoon. By 5:30 Alex had to leave with it so I never had a chance to do anything like a proper evaluation. Nothing I heard on DSD tracks lead me to believe the QX-5 wouldn't handle all formats with equal aplomb, but this is a highly preliminary conclusion. Jordan is one of the few people who got to hear the setup sounding at its best. It should be noted that while the QX-5 was playing at a high level by the end of the day, it probably needs a few hundred more hours to reach full potential.

 

BTW The QX-5 is currently limited to DSD128 but this is a limitation of the current firmware,,not the hardware.

Thanks guys. Been waiting on this unit since Alex spoke to me about it a couple of months ago. I sold my Empirical OSDE this morning in hopes that the Ayre will be as good or better. That's a very very high bar as the OSDE is just a smudge behind, but not far. I trust Ayre. I will most probably get the Melco too in order to hold my music and stream. Some redundancy with the QX5, but not a big deal. Too bad the Melco can't be controlled via an iPad and it's not a Roon ready machine yet because Roon need to make it compatible. Nothing that the Melco guys can do they told me.

Scott or anyone else, will I be able to use Roon with an iPad and the Ayre or do I have to have a PC to run things? I want easy not more difficult. What app did you use for the Melco and or the Ayre? Scott have you hear the Berkley Ref? If so, in your initial opinion will the Ayre be close? thanks all

The Ayre is a simple Roon Ready endpoint so you need a computer running Roon to act as the brains. The computer needs to be on your network but proximity to the Ayre is not important.

There are a number of apps that will control the Melco via iOs. My current favorite is Arcam MusicLife. The problem with Roon and Melco is that Roon is currently only writing code for Intel processors and the Melco uses ARM. There are people working on hacks for ARM processors.

I have not hear the Berkeley in a familiar environment so all I can say is that the QX-5 is really, really good and I am by nature a very negative guy.

Scott, thanks. I know the Melco is the best NAS, but it just seems like it's complicated to run the Ayre with the Melco. Which app do you use? I only want something that I can run fully with my iPad. I assume that adding MQA is a hardware update and not a software one, correct? I also use Linn Kazoo for my Linn Kiko system. I'll look to see if that can also run the Melco. Roon just isn't making sense to me. For me to have to purchase come sort of computer device just to run a nice program seems ridiculous to me. I know I'm not in the minority here either. Everyone I've spoken with wants things to work as a plug and play system. Fewer boxes etc. is what most want alone with SQ. I'm now a free agent and will audition every DAC/server I can. Right now I have faith in Ayre and everything Alex told me about it, but in the end, unless I can use Roon from an iPad (seems like I can't) then the Roon endpoint is just that. The end I think. I also need an easy way to just upload CD;s and for them to get the metadata on their own. I"m not that computer savvy I guess. We will see how it all plays out. When will the QX5 truly be ready for shipment do you think? Are you just taking orders now? thanks.

The Ayre is a simple Roon Ready endpoint so you need a computer running Roon to act as the brains. The computer needs to be on your network but proximity to the Ayre is not important.

 

There are a number of apps that will control the Melco via iOs. My current favorite is Arcam MusicLife. The problem with Roon and Melco is that Roon is currently only writing code for Intel processors and the Melco uses ARM. There are people working on hacks for ARM processors.

 

I have not hear the Berkeley in a familiar environment so all I can say is that the QX-5 is really, really good and I am by nature a very negative guy.

Thanks for the first impressions, Scott.

The imperative question, at least on my mind is, how does it compare to the dCS Rossini dac sitting right next to it?

thanks and cheers !

Scott, thanks. I know the Melco is the best NAS, but it just seems like it's complicated to run the Ayre with the Melco. Which app do you use? I only want something that I can run fully with my iPad. I assume that adding MQA is a hardware update and not a software one, correct? I also use Linn Kazoo for my Linn Kiko system. I'll look to see if that can also run the Melco. Roon just isn't making sense to me. For me to have to purchase come sort of computer device just to run a nice program seems ridiculous to me. I know I'm not in the minority here either. Everyone I've spoken with wants things to work as a plug and play system. Fewer boxes etc. is what most want alone with SQ. I'm now a free agent and will audition every DAC/server I can. Right now I have faith in Ayre and everything Alex told me about it, but in the end, unless I can use Roon from an iPad (seems like I can't) then the Roon endpoint is just that. The end I think. I also need an easy way to just upload CD;s and for them to get the metadata on their own. I"m not that computer savvy I guess. We will see how it all plays out. When will the QX5 truly be ready for shipment do you think? Are you just taking orders now? thanks.

Using the Melco with the Ayre need be no more complex than using an ordinary NAS or a local hard drive. If you hook the Melco to the Ayre via Ethernet you can use an iPad app to control the Ayre as a player. If you use the USB connection then your app controls the Melco and the Ayre is used just as a DAC. The app I like right now is Arcam Music Life. Many others are available including Linn Kinsky. Last time I tried I couldn't get Kazoo to work. In any case, for playing files, rather than doing Internet streaming, the QX-5 cannot work without some piece of hardware to store the files be it a Melco, a Synology or an external drive. As it turns out, one reason we like the Melco so much is that a lot of folks can get it set up and operational with a lot less hand holding from us than usual.

Roon is a much more complex offering than the other control software so is much more demanding of the capabilities of the device in which it resides. Don't want to have a computer, no problem, but don't expect the same features as Roon. Having set up a computer with Roon you never need to touch it again, you can do everything with an iPad.

Adding MQA to the Ayre would almost certainly be done by software.

With the Melco's 3.0 software you can now use an external optical drive to rip CDs directly to the Melco.

The first QX-5s will be dealer display models. You might think consumer orders should be filled first, but there is no way we dealers can provide an appropriate level of service if we don't have a unit to work with. Ayre thinks consumer units may ship in late July but I would not be surprised if that estimate is off by at least a month. I would also guess that the first consumer production run will be sold out before they begin to ship. You've got two things going on. Initial demand for a product like this is going to be higher than it will in the long run and responsible manufacturers will have slower production initially to make sure everything is just right.

Thanks for the first impressions, Scott.

 

The imperative question, at least on my mind is, how does it compare to the dCS Rossini dac sitting right next to it?

 

 

thanks and cheers !

At triple the price (without the external clock) I hope the Rossini is better. The DCS in the picture is the Vivaldi.

Adding MQA to the Ayre would almost certainly be done by software.

LOL. Well that won't happen unless hell freezes over. Charles Hansen hates MQA more than anything and has been rallying digital designers in the high-end to take a stance against it.

LOL. Well that won't happen unless hell freezes over. Charles Hansen hates MQA more than anything and has been rallying digital designers in the high-end to take a stance against it.

The MQA folks need to do the MQA decoding in software and leave the DACs out of it to move things along. Much as was proposed by Auralic. That could resolve the issues raised by companies like PS Audio, Ayre and Schiit Audio, among others about adding MQA to DACs.

I am only interested in MQA if they release my favorite obscure 70's guitar god jazz fusion in the format. Until that time, MQA is just theoretical mumbo jumbo as I get almost everything in high resolution already, including the soundtrack to the movie Super Fly! Truth.

I spent some time with the QX-5 in my own system this past week and tested a number of different features. I mostly used it as a DAC with fixed output. I found the sound to be outstanding and definitely better than any of Ayre's previous DACs and players. I personally owned a QB-9 for many years and thought the QX-5 exceeded its performance in every way. I put it through its paces as a USB and Network DAC, as well as a Roon endpoint. I also used it with Spotify Connect and the Ayre recommended mcontrol app, both of which worked very well and sounded great.

If anyone has any questions regarding any of its functionality or sound quality, I'm happy to answer any questions.

Full disclose - I am an authorized Ayre Dealer

Ciamarasound,

What other DACs do you carry?

I think it'd be more useful if you provide comparisons with other DACs in the $15+ range..

Thanks !

ST

Ciamarasound,

 

 

What other DACs do you carry?

 

I think it'd be more useful if you provide comparisons with other DACs in the $15+ range..

 

Thanks !

 

ST

We carry DACs and Players from Auralic, Luxman, Bricasti, EMM Labs, Meitner, Berkeley Audio Design, Weiss, Bryston, Concert Fidelity and Lumin. Since QX-5 retails for $8950, I think it's probably more appropriate to compare it to DACs in the sub $10K range. That's not to say that its performance won't exceed other DACs in the 15k+ range, but I have not done a shoot out against DACs in that range. It offers more resolution than just about anything I've heard in its price range and because it is more than just a DAC, it certainly offers more flexibility as a digital hub.

Thanks for the reply.

You carry some good stuff.

I'm not sure I agree the QX-5 should be compared exclusively in the sub $10k category, simply because Ayre has been known to punch above thei. price points relative to performance and more pricey items don't necessarily correlate to better performance.

I think comparing this DAC to the Berkley RS2 would be an interesting excercise

ST

Thanks for the reply.

 

You carry some good stuff.

 

I'm not sure I agree the QX-5 should be compared exclusively in the sub $10k category, simply because Ayre has been known to punch above thei. price points relative to performance and more pricey items don't necessarily correlate to better performance.

 

 

I think comparing this DAC to the Berkley RS2 would be an interesting excercise

 

ST

I completely agree that Ayre DACs punch well above their price points and that price is not an indicator of performance, which is the main reason I held onto my QB-9DSD for so long. The RS2 isn't available yet and the QX-5 I had belonged to Ayre, so hopefully I'll be able to compare the two at some point. Either way, I was very pleased with my initial impressions of it.

Well I sold the Empirical OSDE/SE and having sellers remorse lol. Will order the Melco this week and then get on the list for the QX-5 It better be much better than the OSDE which has been a world beater and is under 10k. If not, it will be gone quickly lol.

We carry DACs and Players from Auralic, Luxman, Bricasti, EMM Labs, Meitner, Berkeley Audio Design, Weiss, Bryston, Concert Fidelity and Lumin. Since QX-5 retails for $8950, I think it's probably more appropriate to compare it to DACs in the sub $10K range. That's not to say that its performance won't exceed other DACs in the 15k+ range, but I have not done a shoot out against DACs in that range. It offers more resolution than just about anything I've heard in its price range and because it is more than just a DAC, it certainly offers more flexibility as a digital hub.

Did you test it straight into a power amp using the digital volume control?

How was the sound quality of the Roon endpoint?

Did you test it straight into a power amp using the digital volume control?

 

How was the sound quality of the Roon endpoint?

I wasn't able to test it going into an amp because my Ayre AX-5 integrated doesn't have the ability to be used as a stand-alone amp. I mostly used it as a Roon endpoint and I thought the sound was excellent. Using it as a USB DAC yielded sightly better results, but the convenience of using it as a Roon endpoint far outweighed the small difference in sound quality. I imagine with some tweaking of my network setup, the performance differences would be even smaller.

I wasn't able to test it going into an amp because my Ayre AX-5 integrated doesn't have the ability to be used as a stand-alone amp. I mostly used it as a Roon endpoint and I thought the sound was excellent. Using it as a USB DAC yielded sightly better results, but the convenience of using it as a Roon endpoint far outweighed the small difference in sound quality. I imagine with some tweaking of my network setup, the performance differences would be even smaller.

Does it have specs yet? Or does that come later in the year?

Does it have specs yet? Or does that come later in the year?

Full specs should be available within the next couple of weeks. I'll be updating our site and I'm sure Ayre will too as soon as they're made public.

I did read that Ayre demoed the QX5 Twenty with a Melco unit. Which Melco are you buying and have you compared them?

I did read that Ayre demoed the QX5 Twenty with a Melco unit. Which Melco are you buying and have you compared them?

Yes Ayre uses the Melco N1A as a NAS only. They connect it with the USB I believe he said. They haven't sat and listened to the difference between USB and Ethernet yet (for those who will use a QNAP 471 NAS and run Roon and HQPlayer and use the Ethernet connections only). Based on what I've heard the Melco is the best sounding NAS, but I was told by someone intimately familiar with the QNAP 471, that when running Roon and HQPlayer it will sound just as good as good as the Melco and give you all the flexibility you would want. Really excited about this product and am pretty high up on the list to get one in a few weeks once they get all the units out to the dealers. This new ESS pro chip really seems to be special as Ayre and Mytek are both using it and right now in their price points I feel both make a very nice sounding DAC.

I just remembered something else really neat. During the demo we were able to use the Roon remote on the ipad to control the QX-5's onboard 32 bit volume control!

I just remembered something else really neat. During the demo we were able to use the Roon remote on the ipad to control the QX-5's onboard 32 bit volume control!

How was it set up that you were able to use Roon with the Melco? Did you have Roon running on a NUC (I believe that's the term)? Did you also use HQPlayer? Thanks Blackstone.

We did not use Roon with the Melco. Roon core was running on a PC. We used the Melco later. You can't use Roon with a Melco because it uses an ARM processor.

We did not use Roon with the Melco. Roon core was running on a PC. We used the Melco later. You can't use Roon with a Melco because it uses an ARM processor.

That's why it caught me off guard. I have emailed a bit with Alan at Melco and he said that Roon is working at trying to make their product work with an ARM processor. I'm back and forth daily with getting the Melco and using it as a NAS via USB into the QX or getting the QNAP 471 NAS to run Roon Core and I believe it can also run the HQPlayer (not totally sure as I'm learning) and setting it up the way they say on their site to use all 4 bays in a Raid 1 and also have the back up built in. I don't have ethernet ports in the house so I'd have to have someone run a line from the basement upstairs or use an airport extreme with an Apple Time Machine that I'm going to probably get soon anyways. So many choices. I was told that the Ethernet connections if set up properly and isolated will be a quieter connection than any USB regardless of how much thought they put it to the USB connection. So much for newbies to learn