Honshagen, as an Ayre C5xe owner and using Cardas throughout my system, I can tell you I love the Ayre sound and Cardas sound. I also have a BD105 and tried their DAC in comparison with my previous Rega DAC and the Cutest and preferred the outboard DAC both times.
I am using the Node2 for streaming and set the Cutest filter on 3 or light green (I do find Chords colorful light indicators annoying) and find it shares the timbre voicing of the Ayre sound, as I know it. I tried a number DAC’s in the price range of the Cutest and I went back to the Chord every time, having heard it first.
I encourage you to give it more time and let it settle in and as a final note, try the different output levels keeping in mind the tolerances of the pre-amp. I found 2mv to be the best in my system.
Good Listening
I am using the Node2 for streaming and set the Cutest filter on 3 or light green (I do find Chords colorful light indicators annoying) and find it shares the timbre voicing of the Ayre sound, as I know it. I tried a number DAC’s in the price range of the Cutest and I went back to the Chord every time, having heard it first.
I encourage you to give it more time and let it settle in and as a final note, try the different output levels keeping in mind the tolerances of the pre-amp. I found 2mv to be the best in my system.
Good Listening