at these price points, do not buy something that you cannot audition first. i strongly recommend auditioning the ayre prior to purchase, some find it a bit on the ruthless side of things. i have extensive time with both ayre and chord dacs... you should also consider the DAVE. i'm not anti Ayre, i have a QX-5/20, i also have the chord. they are quite different. each has their pros/cons. i think the ayre is the more forward and with some recordings is a bit fatiguing. but it beats the chord in other ways. also tho, a 10K dac is not 50% better than a 5K dac... theres some great DACs at lower prices too. find a way to hear some of these first.
New DAC, Ayre QX-5 vs Moon 680D, suggestions?
Hello,
I am new to the forum. I’ve been updating my system in the last years, and the weakest link is now my DAC, Moon 280D, the first DAC that I’ve had, and that opened the door for streaming; it has been an exciting journey.
My current system: AQ Niagara 3000, Bryston BCD-1 CD Player, Ayre V5/K5 amps, B&W 802D3 speakers, AQ cables.
I am thinking of updating my DAC, and the two candidates that I’ve considered are Ayre QX-5 (CDN $13K retail in Canada) and Moon 680D (CDN 11.5K). I tested the Moon in my system, and I like the improvement to SQ in terms of detail and sound stage. The unit is massive, with big heatsinks that I find hard to justify, if not for marketing reasons.
In a perfect world, I would listen to the Ayre QX-5 to compare. Unfortunately, I am not able to try the Ayre QX-5, not in my system and not in my city.
I’ve read the reviews of the QX-5 and also comments about the unit in this forum. Informed by these reviews, the fact that I really like my Ayre amps and the excellent customer service and reputation from Ayre, my inclination is to go for this one, although price is even higher.
I contacted a couple of dealers with questions about these two DACs, and their qualities. In a way, I was hoping to hear a confirmation about the QX-5 being superior. What I heard, though, was that both units are very good. I didn’t hear a clear preference for one or the other.
I mostly listen to European jazz and classical music. I am looking for a relaxed, more refined and warm sound that is not fatiguing and brings additional resolution.
My questions: have any of you had a chance to listen to these two DACs? What are the qualities that you can comment from each unit? How would you compare them?
Thanks!