Anybody try Ayon Audio? Lookin for CD/USB Dac

bobsauto49

Been Lookin for a new Dac,and would love to have a CD player/USB Dac all in one,with balanced outputs! Anyone try any Ayon products? They have a couple CD players/USB Dac I've been lookin at. I have a DacMagic Plus for a Dac,and love it.But I want to try something new. I have a Rega Apollo Cd player,and like it also,but would like to have a balanced out Cd player,to match my BAT pre-amp.
Any other suggestions are welcome,new,or used in the $1500/$2500 price range. :question:

polkfarmboy

PS audio perfectwave dac/transport for around $1500 each, a little over the budget but good combo It would also look fantastic and give your rig great symmetry and waf if your into that sort of thing

bobsauto49

^A little over budget^ Hard to find both in black for $1500 ea

marvda1

if you think ayon is in that price range you'd better look again:eek:

bobsauto49

marvda1 wrote: »

if you think ayon is in that price range you'd better look again:eek:

I can get a brand new CD-7 for $2800.
THat being said,I guess I was figuring for $2500 used,or about $3000 new.

Face

Not a fan of Ayon's sources...especially their "budget" gear. Their amps though, are fantastic.

cstmar01

Esoteric makes some units as well and Cary does too. You could always go with a good dac and just get a transport as well. I have an esoteric cd/dvd-a/sacd player and love it and used they go for 1500 or so. I don't have a digital in but they do make them. Otherwise I do think there is also something by teac their parent company that has a digital in as well.

There is an esoteric sa-50 on the gon from a good member now for 2700 with digital in and USB in.

BlueFox

cstmar01 wrote: »

Esoteric makes some units as well and Cary does too. You could always go with a good dac and just get a transport as well. I have an esoteric cd/dvd-a/sacd player and love it and used they go for 1500 or so. I don't have a digital in but they do make them. Otherwise I do think there is also something by teac their parent company that has a digital in as well.

There is an esoteric sa-50 on the gon from a good member now for 2700 with digital in and USB in.

Esoteric price list

http://www.audioaficionado.org/attachments/esoteric/21721d1352161630-esoteric-msrp-esoteric-msrp-pricing.pdf

cstmar01

Looks like the Teac is the CD 3000 S which retails new for 2K or so. It has USB in that is 24/192. I know Hi Fi Heaven carries them.

Esoteric will cost you more than what you want new, used would have to be the way to go.

pearsall001

For the gear you already own I think spending another 1.5-2K would simply be a lateral move...nothing really to gain in the sound quality department. And how come you're still spinning those disc thingie's??? Time to really shake things up & start looking at a music server. Trust me, you'll thank me later!

heiney9

pearsall001 wrote: »

For the gear you already own I think spending another 1.5-2K would simply be a lateral move...nothing really to gain in the sound quality department. And how come you're still spinning those disc thingie's??? Time to really shake things up & start looking at a music server. Trust me, you'll thank me later!

A $2K dac would certainly be a nice addition and outperform the CA DAC Magic. That really is a middle of the road unit, sounds good but for $2K spent on the right gear, that would be better. Not a lateral move.

H9

Dawgfish

I have been really impressed with the MHDT Labs DACs. They make a version of their Havana DAC that is balanced. It goes for around $1200.00 new. It's also a tube DAC BTW if that's a plus or minus to you. It also has USB inputs. I personally own the Paradisea + non-balanced version of their DAC and have been very happy with it. I have mated it with your Apollo CDP in the past and it was a good match on my system. It has more smoothness and refinement over the Apollo. It's also very responsive to tube rolling. I really enjoy it with a Western Electric JW-396 or Bendix 6385 tube.

bobsauto49

heiney9 wrote: »

A $2K dac would certainly be a nice addition and outperform the CA DAC Magic. That really is a middle of the road unit, sounds good but for $2K spent on the right gear, that would be better. Not a lateral move.

H9

My thoughts exactly! I like the dacmagic, but wanted to move up the chain,and search for a more "refined" sound to squeeze out what my gear is able to! And I was hoping to kill 2 birds with 1 stone,and get a balanced CD player/dac all in one. Maybee this is a good idea,maybee not!
I don't know anything about a music server! Wtf do they do? If its just a music storage device, I don't need that "convienence". If it improves music, then I'm all ears!

Dawgfish

OK my bad, I thought you were looking for DAC to be used with CDPs and computer audio. I see you are looking for a CDP with a built in DAC. Having said that I would still look at the balanced version of the MHDT Havana Tube DAC. It will give you what you are looking for and you could still use you Rega as a transport.

heiney9

bobsauto49 wrote: »

I don't know anything about a music server! Wtf do they do? If its just a music storage device, I don't need that "convienence". If it improves music, then I'm all ears!

I will say once you go to a music server you will never, ever go back to spinning single cd's. You *think* you don't need that convenience, but it's like washing clothes in a 1950's wash tub vs. a modern washer. You should seriously consider it and then all you need is a really great DAC.

Just one suggestion that is solid.

H9

heiney9

Dawgfish wrote: »

OK my bad, I thought you were looking for DAC to be used with CDPs and computer audio. I see you are looking for a CDP with a built in DAC. Having said that I would still look at the balanced version of the MHDT Havanna Tube DAC. It will give you what you are looking for and you could still use you Rega as a transport.

I personally would be careful of the MHDT products, they are non-oversampling dac's and they are an acquired taste for some. Not saying you should completely discount them, but be aware they approach things a little non-traditionally and Non oversampling chipsets sound different.

H9

tonyb

Gonna agree with Brock on this one. There's definitely a few notches of SQ to be had between a 600 buck dac and a 2k one.

Bob, look used at Empirical Audio, PS Audio, Weis, not sure if you just want a cdp with a balanced out or dac. Personally, I wouldn't put so much thought into balanced connections. Why ? Even though I've had an ear on a number of balanced systems, changing out cables can get expensive. When you think about it, cables are a sort of tone control, different flavors, different synergy within ones system. A balanced cable while offering a quieter noise floor and blacker background take away those tone controls. Balanced sounds, to me anyway, too sterile. Though with the right gear, they can sound excellent too but the trick is "with the right gear". To me it's easier to flavor the sound by way of swapping cables rather than swapping gear with balanced connections.

Just my thoughts on it pal, not trying to talk you out of anything. Though one of these days your gonna have to jump into the modern world and start streaming all that music from the palm of your hand without getting up off the couch every 5 minutes to change a cd. Think of all the beer you could drink with a cooler next to the couch.:cheesygrin:

Dawgfish

heiney9 wrote: »

I personally would be careful of the MHDT products, they are non-oversampling dac's and they are an acquired taste for some. Not saying you should completely discount them, but be aware they approach things a little non-traditionally and Non oversampling chipsets sound different.

H9

Agreed. It's different. I personally prefer analogue over digital and was looking for a more analogue sound out of my digital sources. NOS DACs and particuliarly the MHDT Labs DACS do a good job of this. If you are looking to get a more analogue type of sound, than it would be a good choice. I also like being able to tune the sound rolling different tubes, but I'm a tweeker at heart.

Face

heiney9 wrote: »

I personally would be careful of the MHDT products, they are non-oversampling dac's and they are an acquired taste for some. Not saying you should completely discount them, but be aware they approach things a little non-traditionally and Non oversampling chipsets sound different.

H9

I agree, they didn't sound like anything else we compared them to at a local DAC comparison. They may be best paired with a setup that needs a low frequency boost and the top end rolled off. Both stock and modded units shared this kind of voicing.

Dawgfish

Not trying to be argumentative here but a lot of the sound can be tuned with changes in tubes, cables, and Op-amps in my case with the Paradesia. I don't think anybody that heard mine in my current setup would call them rolled-off in the highs. There's a big difference in playing with something for an afternoon or so vs having one in your system and tweeking for 6 months. Agian not discounting what y'all are saying but at the same point making a blanket statement about a piece of equipment that has a sound that can be changed quite a bit with tube rolling, etc. is not exactly giving it a fair shake either. I don't think they are the best DACS out there, but I do like the fact that their sound characteristics can be easily tweeked. That's the main thing that attracted me to the MHDT DACS in the first place. YMMV.

BTW I do have experience with the OP's CDP player with this DAC, I sold him the Rega. I was just trying to give him an alternative suggestion based off my expereince with a piece of equipment he is using. I know things may sound drastically different in his set-up, in his room, to his ears, but it's not a total shot in the dark. Again, YMMV.

bobsauto49

DSkip wrote: »

Oppo 105 anyone?

Never gave it any thought! Kinda looks like what im lookin for,minus DVD/bluray.

pearsall001

bobsauto49 wrote: »

My thoughts exactly! I like the dacmagic, but wanted to move up the chain,and search for a more "refined" sound to squeeze out what my gear is able to! And I was hoping to kill 2 birds with 1 stone,and get a balanced CD player/dac all in one. Maybee this is a good idea,maybee not!
I don't know anything about a music server! Wtf do they do? If its just a music storage device, I don't need that "convienence". If it improves music, then I'm all ears!

Why do you blindly assume that? I stopped believing in that old audio myth a long time ago that spending more equates to better sound. Your DacMagic is an excellent piece that delivers fantastic musical reproduction. If you went & spent 2K to "Upgrade" the only guarantee you will have is that the music will be delivered differently. It's up to you the listener to decide if you find the new sound to be one of three things: "better", "no better than what you already have" or "maybe even a worse sound to your ears". Spend wisely my friend & make sure if purchased new it comes with an iron clad return policy & if you buy used make sure you can flip it without incurring any lose just in case you're left scratching your head asking yourself what the hell did that 2K purchase gain me.

But my best advise is....MUSIC SERVER!!!!! A whole new world of enjoyment awaits you. You can't even begin to fathom what you're missing. Brock's assesment is right on the money except I'd go back even further & compare it to the old wash board as compared to today's machines!!!

bobsauto49

pearsall001 wrote: »

Why do you blindly assume that?

But my best advise is....MUSIC SERVER!!!!! A whole new world of enjoyment awaits you. You can't even begin to fathom what you're missing. Brock's assesment is right on the money except I'd go back even further & compare it to the old wash board as compared to today's machines!!!

The music server is a good idea,I need to get my read on! Thanx Phil!

I don't BILINDLY assume anything Phil! How will I ever know if the DM is the "bee's knee's" if I don't give something else a try? I'm EVOLVING,just like a lot of other people who come onto this sight. And I want a balanced cd play to mate with my fully balanced BAT pre. So I figured if I could get a balanced cd player,with a balanced DAC in it,then I would be able to try something different!

hochpt21

DSkip wrote: »

Oppo 105 anyone?

That was my first thought, too. But I don't know much about anything at that level, so that's not experience talking.

polkfarmboy

pearsall001 wrote: »

Why do you blindly assume that? I stopped believing in that old audio myth a long time ago that spending more equates to better sound. Your DacMagic is an excellent piece that delivers fantastic musical reproduction. If you went & spent 2K to "Upgrade" the only guarantee you will have is that the music will be delivered differently. It's up to you the listener to decide if you find the new sound to be one of three things: "better", "no better than what you already have" or "maybe even a worse sound to your ears". Spend wisely my friend & make sure if purchased new it comes with an iron clad return policy & if you buy used make sure you can flip it without incurring any lose just in case you're left scratching your head asking yourself what the hell did that 2K purchase gain me.

But my best advise is....MUSIC SERVER!!!!! A whole new world of enjoyment awaits you. You can't even begin to fathom what you're missing. Brock's assesment is right on the money except I'd go back even further & compare it to the old wash board as coimpared to today's machines!!!

I had a dac magic for a week in my home about 2 nearly 3 years ago and also HRT and the dac in the sqeezebox touch. Bob is using ML speakers as am I and the diff in sq when you get into the above 2k is a real improvement and diff league. The electrostats really respond to high quality components and badly to lesser quality

pearsall001

This new DAC from NAD looks interesting. http://nadelectronics.com/products/masters-series/M51-Direct-Digital-DAC NAD has been breaking the mold as of late with some of their new products.

bobsauto49

That's funny u mentioned this one Phil,I've read that review,and wish they offered it in black!
I might have a chance to demo one!

pearsall001

bobsauto49 wrote: »

That's funny u mentioned this one Phil,I've read that review,and wish they offered it in black!
I might have a chance to demo one!

If you have the chance to demo the unit by all means give it a whirl. I would love to hear your thoughts. From the reviews it's a kiler piece. You're right about the color, the entire NAD Masters series only comes in the one color & it's not close to black. Maybe one day they'll change that just like Parasound has done with their Halo line which is now available in black as well as the silver which was their only color choice for years.