Ayre DX-5 DSD "still a product worth buying?"
February
15, 2023
Marc,
I
just read your review of the Ayre DX-5 DSD for the third or fourth time, trying to
decide if I dare buy an older product like this Ayre. After all, it has been about eight
years since your review. The way the audio world upgrades and improves so quickly, it may
be a foolish choice.
I'm
looking for a good SACD player. I would so love to buy the new Luxman at around $16,000 or
the Esoteric for another huge price, but I can't possibly afford that kind of money. I
have to turn to the used market. The Ayre C-5xe always comes up as one of the best, but
then I read about the DX-5 DSD. As far as I can tell it has better audio than the C-5xe.
But does it? And both of these products are old. Are they still worth buying? I know Ayre
supports its products for life and I also know that transports are a problem though not an
insurmountable one yet. Still, would it be better to scout out a new player of equivalent
quality and price as the Ayre?
I
like to think I'm an audiophile with a pretty darn good system, and my current CD player
is down and my SACD collection is growing. I'd love it if you could help me make a
decision. I'm 84 and can't afford an expensive mistake. Can I buy sound quality equivalent
to the audio quality and used price of the Ayre DX-5 DSD in any of today's SACD players?
Or is the Ayre DSD still a product worth buying?
Janet
Mountjoy
Yes, I think the Ayre DX-5 DSD is definitely worth buying today if you're still
spinning discs, which I do. It plays every digital disc (except MQA CDs), including
Blu-ray music discs, and it sounds wonderful with them all. If you buy one and it hasn't
been upgraded to DSD status, call Ayre before you buy and ensure they still have the
boards to do the upgrade. That upgrade has gone up in cost since my article, so you'll
also want to ensure that the combined cost of the used player and the upgrade makes sense
for you.
The
DX-5 DSD sounds better than the Ayre C-5xe, which I owned. I do like the Pioneer Elite
players, some of which (like the DV-79AVi) you can buy for under $100 used. They also don't sound as
good as the Ayre DX-5 DSD, but they still do provide audiophile sound, and if one breaks,
you won't be out thousands of dollars. The BDP-88fd is the best of the Pioneer Elite
players, and like the DX-5 DSD it plays everything, but it is hard to find and you will
have to pay near $1000 for one. -Marc Mickelson
Reader
list
February
1, 2023
Marc,
Hello!
I
want your e-post, please!
Thanks!
Håkan
Henriksson
You're
signed up. To join TAB's reader e-mail list and find out about new articles first,
send e-mail to rl@theaudiobeat.com.
-Marc Mickelson
