Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Thanks Ketch.   I so appreciate your thoughts and respect what you have to share.  I'm not surprised in the least as Steve makes a great DAC.   I still need to speak with you about my ethernet system I need to set up.  I'm in the hospital for the next week or so, if you have time....just let me know.  Thanks.

has this thread finally had it's last gasps?  I hope not as it's been a great thread and helped many of us out.  I finally have my Ayre QX5 Twenty DAC fully burned in and it's sounding incredible.  I'm hearing things I haven't heard before and the bass is to dye for.  I'm surprised by the last remark as zero feedback designs will give you glorious music from 100hz up, but the deep bass doesn't always go as deep as you want it to.  That's one reason I love the Vandersteen line from Quatro up as it gives you great bass and I can get the glorious sound of the Ayre and have it all.  I also love the headphone amp on this model as I still use cans.  I'm still serving music from Steve's server I got from him and it sounds awesome. I will probably sell this also though as I want an easier solution for larger storage, ability to use an iPad to control it and also to use Roon, but if I don't find what I want, I may just figure out if I can do all of that this this server.

Hi all.

Nothing to post since I’m waiting for my odsx to come back.

The Emm Labs DA-2 demands a better source then my Mac mini. The N10 works well. So once I get my odsx I will head to head the Emm/N-10 via AES against the odsx fed via Ethernet from my Mac mini. The winner will take up permanent residence.

The rest of my system is stunningly good and needs nothing but some power cable tweaking. I’ve been to 2 dozen dealerships, a dozen audio shows and a myriad audiophile systems. Only 3 have, to my ears, outperformed my system; and all 3 were million dollar systems.....

down to the DAC wire. I’ll keep you all posted.

Thanks for keeping this going CTSooner!!! Enjoy that Ayre!

LOL,, of course Matt.  Call if you have some time tomorrow. I have to take the wife to Brooklyn for an all day seminar and then to LaGuardia. I"ll drop her off around 9:30 and then head to the city to see what shops are open.  I haven't really been to the shops in the city in awhile.  Not even sure where to go.  Was thinking about Innovation as I have never been there.  

I would recommend the New Merlot Dac from Playback design over lampi. The Merlot Dac is designed and coded by the very guy who made DSD in the first place for sony.