Opinions on best integrated under 10k?

Jafant.

So far I am probably impressed the most by its streaming performance.

This I believe is partly due to the simplicity of the path, network cable in and music out. No other boxes or cables in the signal path to introduce jitter.

Within five minutes of playing Quboz I had a huge grin , the level and depth of bass especially was such a marked improvement from previous that I had to check the room to see if anybody had snuck in a pair of subs while I was not looking.

Seriously, there is a whole new dimension to music whether streamed or cd or analog.


If I had to nitpick I could have wished for a little more gain on the rca analog inputs, although as both are fed by vintage tape decks that likely do not have high output themselves that could be as much of the problem right there.

And the volume display is idiotic, it is a bar graph, please Ayre just give me some good old large numerals.

Look for a more in depth review as time gets under my belt with it.

Question for anybody who owns the EX8 as well or has knowledge of this aspect.

The manual states you can connect a USB drive to one of its USB host ports and be able to play music files contained theirin.

However I see no way to actually access or see the files on the USB drive.

Anybody know how?

Thanks

Well I got it figured.

When it said USB flash drive it seems it REALLY meant just a flash drive!

Would not read or recognize my Western Digital USB hard drive but plug an actual flash drive into same socket and files are then found under the mconnect app.

I wonder if it is because the USB hard drive probably needs 5v USB power to actually spin? Very likely now I think about it and these USB ports are probably not outputting USB power.

uberwaltz
Thank You for the updates on your EX-8. I can relate to the quality of Ayre products. I will take a different audio path, as I am wonderfully attached, on CD/SACD discs. That was the quality factor which struck me with the AX-5 Twenty- it is a straight up (simple) integrated amp. DAC/Server/Streamer capabilities via the QX-5 Twenty sold separately.

Happy Listening!