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Ayre QB9 Twenty Upgrade

Hi Folks,I have an Ayre QB9 DSD DAC and I'm wondering about the new upgrade that Ayre is offering. It's cost is about $1500.00 so I'm not about to jump on the band wagon until I get some input about its sonic improvements. Currently, my QB9 has a Wireworld Platinum Starlight USB cable, Herbie's Tenderfeet, an Akiko XLR tuning stick, a Synergistic Research Blue Fuse, an ISO Regen with LP1 linear power source and an ASR Magic power cord. It sounds very neutral and very natural and I expect that I would ad those tweaks to the upgraded version as well. Any input about the sound differences would be greatly appreciated.Thanks!
128x128goofyfoot
goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot OP
1,383 posts
 
Thanks Mitch2, I suppose it makes since then for me to get the upgrade given that I find nothing objectionable about the Ayre, not to mention times when it sounds very, very good.

beetlemania, I hope you post something about the upgrade when you get it broken in.
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,027 posts
 
I would consider ayre, Lampizator and a used Aesthetix Pandora as very musical DAC w well executed filters and analog outputs... of course there are others. Ayre upgrades , customer support, long long term commitment to product are stellar. Which filter setting do you use now?
goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot OP
1,383 posts
 
tomic601, I believe which ever is recommended by Ayre for general play. There is an A or B switch on the back and I believe it's on A. I do know that the upgrade guts the entire insides of the QB9 and that upgraded filters are part of that. Unfortunately, I know nothing about the DAC chip or filters, etc...
beetlemania
839 posts
 
Filter settings are "Listen" and "Measure". Ayre recommends Listen for listening, Measure if you are a reviewer testing the unit on the bench (the Listen filter has better time-domain performance but rolls off the highs).

I'm pretty sure the filters are one of the few things *not* changed by this upgrade.https://www.ayre.com/2019/10/11/ayre-qb-9-twenty-update/
goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot OP
1,383 posts
 
beetlemania, then Ayre was able to adapt the new circuit board and whatever else to the present filters which surprises me.
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