Ayre QX-5 Twenty steaming performance

@dbphd 

https://www.sonore.us/systemoptique.html

Take a look at the optical network. The optical cable is supposed to eliminate noise, unlike regular Ethernet. I am going to set up an optical network next and either buy a DAC with an optical input (such as Lumin X1) or take a look at the Sonare optical network kit which allows optical to USB (via a few devices).

I use dCS NB connected to QX-5 via Cardas Clear AES/EBU cables. The best sound I've achieved so far. QX-5 is the beast, just find a way how to wake it up.

I'm not sure what I was imagining in my previous post re inserting a microRendu.  I don't hear any noise with ethernet directly to the QX-5/20, and the sound is superb.

db

Just a follow-up to my post in this thread from three months ago... I've since sold my ultraRendu and now use the Ayre QX-5 Twenty as a one-box system. 

For fun I had a friend help with some (unscientific) blind testing with him as the swapper and me as the listener.  I found that I couldn't even reliably tell when he had actually changed anything, let alone tell which I preferred as "better".  With the ultraRendu in the system and without - it sounded great to me.  So, I decided to stick with the simpler configuration.  For what it's worth...