Ayre DX-5 DSD Owner’s Manual Universal A/V Engine
Table of Contents Welcome to Ayre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Overview and Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Connections and Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Setup and Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Controls and Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Optimization and Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 About Aspect Ratios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Advanced Features .
Welcome to Ayre DSD Your Ayre DX-5 offers a significant advance in both video and audio performance from all digital formats. The excitement and dimensionality of your favorite films are apparent from the first viewing. Music is reproduced with the warmth and immediacy of a live performance. The combination of superb resolution and a natural, relaxed quality will draw you back to your home theater and music system, time and time again.
Overview and Introduction DSD The Ayre DX-5 is a unique universal audio/video engine that serves as the central source component for all of your digital media. It plays all currently available video optical disc formats (including Blu-ray and DVD-Video), providing reference-level DSD picture quality for your home theater. The DX-5 also plays all currently available audio optical disc formats (including CD, SACD, and DVD-Audio) with unsurpassed audio quality.
at the correct time for jitter-free playback of your DSD music. The DX-5 also utilizes opto-isolators to provide total electrical isolation for the connections between your computer and music system. This minimizes the introduction of unwanted radio-frequency interference (RFI), generated by all computers. Avoiding the use of wireless networks (e.g., Wi-Fi), by employing wired connections instead, will reduce RFI levels in your home and results in improved sound quality for any music system.
Connections and Installation DSD The Ayre DX-5 is a universal audio/video engine. It may be connected to any video display with an HDMI input, any audio system either with HDMI or analog inputs, and any personal computer with a USB output. It is easy to hook up and use. The following guidelines will ensure that the installation goes smoothly. Location The infrared beam of the remote control will also travel through glass.
While the HDMI A/V Output also includes the audio, the best performance for both video and audio is achieved by using separate connections for both the video and audio signals. Video switchers and/or scalers may compromise the signal integrity unless executed at the absolute highest standards.
Isolation of Audio and Video Any audio/video system will achieve the best performance when the video system is electrically isolated from the audio system. DSD The audio section of the DX-5 is completely isolated from the video section via opto-isolators that provide total galvanic isolation. This is unusual and will require some extra effort to maintain this isolation when also using other video sources.
Outputs to provide a rich and fulfilling sonic experience for movies as well as music. If you have a two-channel audio system, simply connect the Analog Audio Outputs to your preamplifier and you can enjoy all of your sources, both music and movies. Multi-channel SACDs may not be downmixed. However, they nearly always contain a separate two-channel playback area. DSD The Ayre DX-5 offers both balanced and single-ended outputs.
movie soundtracks and music sources. The Analog Audio Outputs may also be connected to your system at the same time as the HDMI Audio Output, either directly to the surround-sound processor or through a stereo preamplifier with a pass-through function. Note that both the Analog Audio Outputs and the Digital Audio Output are disabled and the status LED glows orange when the HDMI Audio Output is connected to a selected (active) HDMI input on your surround-sound processor (SSP).
USB Input DSD The USB input allows the DX-5 to be connected to a personal computer for use as a state-of-the-art music server. The input uses the squarish USB “B” type connector designed for computer peripheral devices. The rectangular “A” type connector at the other end of the cable is designed to plug directly into the computer itself. Music input at the USB Audio Input will not be output by either HDMI connector. Only the Analog Audio Outputs will deliver music sent to the USB Audio Input. The USB 2.
countries.) They are readily available in different lengths and various colors at most electronics stores. Be sure to use two-line telephone cords to make AyreLink connections. These can be identified by the four gold contacts on each connector. Single-line cords with only two gold contacts will not function in this application. The linked components may be joined in any convenient order.
• Firmware update – Periodically Ayre may offer DSD updates to the firmware of the DX-5 that will offer additional features. While there are several methods for updating the firmware, perhaps the easiest is to use an internet connection. AC Power DSD The DX-5 may be plugged directly into an unswitched wall outlet.
Setup and Configuration DSD Once you have connected the Ayre DX-5 to your home theater system, you will need to configure it to ensure compatibility with your display. There is an extensive set of options as detailed in the chapter “On-Screen Setup Menu”. To simplify the setup process, nearly all of the options have been pre-selected at the factory. However, a few settings may need to be changed to match your system.
TV Aspect Ratio DSD 16:9 Display The Ayre DX-5 comes from the factory pre-configured for proper operation with a “widescreen” (16:9). This will work for the vast majority of systems. However if you have an older “standard” (4:3) display, you will need to change the menu item TV Aspect Ratio. Use the “Up/Down” arrow buttons to select the proper menu item and then press “Enter”. Use the “Up/Down” arrow buttons to select 4:3 Letterbox and then press “Enter”.
TV System Around the world, there are two main video standards in use, NTSC (North America and Japan) and PAL (Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa). DSD The Ayre DX-5 can work perfectly well with either system. From the factory the unit is set up to play both types of discs (NTSC and PAL) in their native format. If your display accommodates both standards, you need not change this setting. Similarly, if you only play discs purchased from the same area as your display, this setting will work well.
Output Resolution DSD Not only does the Ayre DX-5 Digital A/V Engine play high-definition Blu-ray discs, but it also has a world-class scaling engine that up-converts standard definition video stored on DVD discs. The sophisticated video processor ensures that the video will have the best possible color, detail, and motion. The player offers several video output resolutions. To achieve the best visual result, it is important to select the output resolution that best matches your display device.
DSD The DX-5 also supports a special “Source Direct” output resolution. This resolution is only recommended for use with high-performance external video processors. In “Source Direct” mode, the player works as a “transport”. It decodes video from the discs and then sends the raw video signal in its native resolution and format, without extra processing, to the external video processor.
by purchasing files that are downloaded via the internet. • Labeling the files you have transferred with the names of the song, artist, album, et cetera, commonly called “tagging”. (Downloaded files will normally already have the “tags” included.) • Using a music player program to organize your music collection and play it back. • Optionally record music selections back onto CDs for playback in your car or other places, commonly called “burning”.
Controls and Operation DSD The Ayre DX-5 may be controlled using either the front panel buttons or the remote control handset. Basic functions are available at both locations. Additional functions are available only at the remote control handset. This chapter is divided into three sections: • Basic Functions • USB Computer Audio • Media File Playback There are also many other sophisticated functions available for the advanced user.
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Status LED There is a status LED on the front panel to the lower-left of the control ring.
Basic Functions While the remote control handset has a multitude of functions, only a few of them are commonly used. These basic functions apply to all optical discs, including Blu-ray discs (BDs), DVDs, DVD-Audios, SACDs, and CDs. Details on the remaining functions may be found in a separate chapter, “Advanced Features” (page 39). Standby/Operate The “Standby/Operate” button toggles the unit between normal operation and standby mode.
Play Pressing the “Play” button initiates playback of the disc. If the drawer is open, pressing “Play” will also close the drawer. Pause Pressing the “Pause” button will pause the disc playback. Playback may be resumed either by pressing the “Pause” button again or the “Play” button. Stop Pressing the “Stop” button will stop disc playback. However the position is memorized and the video display shows “Press PLAY to continue.
Next Pressing the “Next” button will move to the start of the next chapter or track. Additional presses will move to subsequent chapters or tracks. Reverse Scan The “Reverse Scan” mode scans backward through the disc. Each button press increases the scan speed until it returns to the normal playing speed as shown at the diagram. Pressing “Play” will also restore normal playback speed. Forward Scan The “Forward Scan” mode scans forward through the disc.
Cursor Buttons Nearly all video discs feature on-screen menus to access the various features found on the disc. These menus use a highlighted cursor that is controlled by using the “Cursor” buttons on the remote control handset. When the desired selection is highlighted, press the “Enter” button. The cursor buttons are also used to navigate the “On-Screen Setup Menu”. For additional information, please refer to page 58.
Most DVD discs use a chapter menu for navigation. Press the “Pop-Up Menu” button to display the chapter menu. Some DVD discs may contain a title menu, usually in addition to the chapter menu. During playback, press the “Top Menu” button to return to the disc title menu. Number Buttons During the playback of a disc, you can use the “Number” buttons on the remote control to directly jump to a specified chapter or track number.
or you can scroll through the available subtitle choices, or turn the subtitles off completely, using the “Subtitle” button on the remote control. Pressing the “Subtitle” button once displays the current setting. Additional presses will scroll through the available choices. Repeat To repeat a certain chapter, title, track or disc, press the “Repeat” button on the remote control.
In normal playback mode, each track is played back in sequential order. The Random playback mode randomly selects a track to play. The Shuffle mode also plays back the tracks in random order, but it ensures that each track is played only once. Selecting the Shuffle or Random mode cancels any Repeat mode you may be using. DVD Quick-Start When watching a DVD, the “Yellow” button allows you to skip any previews or other material before the beginning of the film.
poor bass response, be sure that the “Speaker Configuration” settings are correct as explained on page 86. If a multi-channel disc played through the two-channel Analog Audio Outputs has poor bass response, first check the “Speaker Configuration” settings and then try the “LFE Downmix ” mode as explained on page 47. This will correct for improperly authored multi-channel discs.
Media File Playback In addition to playing standard disc-based formats such as Blu-ray disc, DVD, CD, and SACD, the DSD Ayre DX-5 Universal A/V Engine can play media files. You can enjoy digital music, movies and photos stored on an optical disc (recordable CD or DVD) or a USB drive. Due to the variation of media, encoding software and techniques used, compatibility cannot be guaranteed for all user-created or downloaded contents. Support for such content is on a best-effort basis.
devices such as MP3 players, digital cameras, and mobile phones may not be compatible. Supported USB drives must be formatted with the FAT (File Allocation Table) or FAT32 file system. Drives formatted with the NTFS or HFS Plus file systems are not supported. In some cases, an incompatible USB device may cause the player to stop responding. If this occurs simply turn off the power, remove the USB device, and turn the player back on. The player accesses the USB drive in read-only mode.
Playing Music Files To play digital music files stored on an optical disc or USB drive, select “Music” from the “Home Menu”. A file browser will appear to assist you in navigating the files and folders. The first step is to select the “Data Disc” or USB device that contains the music files. The player will read the disc and list the folders and music files. In the music browser, you can perform the following operations: • Press the “Up/Down” arrow or “Page Up/Down” buttons to move the cursor.
• Now Playing – Show the status of the currently playing music file. • Press the “Right” arrow button to move the cursor back to the file listing. • If a music file starts playing and there is no other user operation, the “Now Playing” screen will appear after a few seconds. You can also get to this screen using the “Now Playing” menu. This screen can show the following information: • Playback status: “Play”, “Stop”, “Pause”. • Playback mode: “Shuffle”, “Random”, “Repeat One”, “Repeat All”.
Playing Movie Files To play movie files stored on an optical disc or USB drive, select “Movie” from the “Home Menu”. A file browser will appear to assist you in navigating the files and folders. The first step is to select the “Data Disc” or USB device that contains the movie files. The player will take a moment to read the disc and list the folders and movie files.
The first step is to select the “Data Disc” or USB device that contains the photo files. The player will take a moment to read the disc and list the folders and photo files. In the photo browser, you can perform the following operations: • Press the “Up/Down” arrow or “Page Up/Down” buttons to move the cursor and select photo files. • When a photo file is highlighted by the cursor, press the “Enter” or “Play” button to start playback in a full screen slideshow fashion.
• Show photos in “Digest” mode: “Red” button. The “Digest” mode shows nine photo thumbnails in a screen to make visual navigation easy. • Show EXIF information: “Green” button. • Play in random sequence: “Blue” button. • Change slideshow transition effect: “Yellow” button. Adding Background Music You can add background music to the photo slideshow. To do so, you will need to prepare some digital music files. The music files can be stored on the same disk as the photos, or on a different USB drive.
Optimization and Customization DSD The Ayre DX-5 offers many advanced features. It is configured at the factory to provide the best performance for a typical installation. In certain situations you may wish to change the default configuration for optimal performance in your system, using small toggle switches on the rear of the unit. The default configuration settings (all switches in the “up” position) will work best for the vast majority of users.
A switch on the rear panel allows the Digital Audio Output to be turned off if its use is not required. Turning the Digital Audio Output “off” when not using it will result in slightly higher sound quality through the analog outputs. Digital Filter DSD The digital filter of the Ayre DX-5 features two user-selectable algorithms. A selector switch is located on the rear panel. One algorithm produces greater accuracy in the time domain and is labeled “Listen”.
Setting the switch to “Rsrv B” selects “Class 2 Audio”, which uses the USB “High Speed” mode to transport data at higher rates as long as the operating system also supports Class 2 Audio. For Mac, this requires OS X version 10.6.4 or higher. None of the Windows operating systems supports “High Speed” mode for audio via the USB ports. We therefore have made available a custom driver that is compatible with Windows XP, Service Pack 2 and later.
About Aspect Ratios The term “aspect ratio” simply refers to the ratio of the picture’s width to its height. Nonetheless there is some room for confusion, as the original film, the picture transferred to the disc, and the display itself each have their own aspect ratio. Most viewers prefer to see the film in its original aspect ratio, which preserves the director’s intention for the visual composition of the film and is made easy with the DSD Ayre DX-5 Digital A/V Engine.
The aspect ratios of video displays are usually given as a ratio of integers. However as noted below, the aspect ratios of films are usually normalized to one. To make comparisons between video displays and films easier, the ratios for displays can also be normalized to one. Hence 16:9 becomes 1.78:1 and 4:3 becomes 1.33:1. Aspect Ratios of Films Nearly all films made from the 1920s through the early 1950s used an aspect ratio of 1.37:1.
Widescreen Displays Let’s start with a widescreen movie shot in 1.85:1 and viewed on a 1.78:1 widescreen video display. In this case virtually the entire image can be seen with no adjustments required. The film is presented in the same way as in a movie theater. If we want to now watch a standard movie shot in DSD 1.37:1, With the DX-5 TV Aspect Ratio menu set to 16:9 Wide we run into a problem. The narrower picture automatically fills up the screen, stretching and distorting the image.
Again, this distorted image is unacceptable. A few high-quality standard video displays will allow for the vertical size of the picture to be decreased, restoring the proper image geometry. But since nearly all standard displays lack any type of aspect ratio control, this capability is instead built into all video disc players.
image. On a standard display, additional black bars will be added by the video disc player (or much less commonly by the display itself). The end result will be thick black bars at the top and bottom of the screen. Again this is perfectly normal. Pan and Scan Discs Sometimes when a widescreen film is transferred to video disc, only the center portion is scanned. This process is called “pan and scan” and changes the aspect ratio to 1.
money they would use an existing transfer that had been made for the laser disc format. Since laser disc had no provision for widescreen films, these transfers were done in “letterboxed” format, where the black bars at the top and bottom of the image were added to the disc itself during the transfer process. These letterboxed discs will display properly on a standard display.
Advanced Features DSD The remote handset for the Ayre DX-5 Digital A/V Engine includes many features that may be used only occasionally or even rarely. The buttons and their actions are described in this chapter. Pure Audio You can achieve higher quality audio by turning off the video processing and output. The Pure Audio mode reduces any potential interference between the video and audio signals.
Mute Press the “Mute” button on the remote control during playback to turn off audio output. The TV screen displays a mute icon. The front panel MUTE indicator will also light up. Press the “Mute” button again to resume audio output. Volume The volume control function on the remote control sends commands via the AyreLink to a linked preamplifier or integrated amplifier. LFE Mixdown “LFE” is short for “Low-Frequency Effects”.
DSD To address this problem, the Ayre DX-5 offers a mode whereby the LFE channel is mixed in with the main channels for playback through the Analog Audio Outputs. Simply press the “Setup” button on the remote control handset, and then the numbers “7 - 1 - 2 - 0” (for 7.1 channels to 2.0 channels). The LED indicator on the front panel will glow red to show the “LFE Mixdown” mode is active. To exit the “LFE Mixdown” mode, press the “Setup” button followed by “0 - 0 - 0 - 0”.
status information. For CD and SACD, the status information is shown automatically. While the status information is shown, press the “Page Up/Down” buttons to scroll through several display formats. The playback time information displayed on the front panel changes together with the on-screen display. Press the “Display” button again to hide the on-screen display. The playback time information display on the front panel will remain in the selected format.
• Current and total title chapters. (video discs) • Current and total tracks. (CD and SACD) • Audio information: current and available number of audio tracks including language, format, and channels. • Subtitle information: current and available number of subtitle tracks and language. • Video format information: encoding type, frame rate and original aspect ratio. Memory Resume The player automatically remembers the current position when playback is interrupted.
Return Function When you are using on-screen menus with a DVD, the “Return” function allows you to go back one menu level. The “Return” function also performs the same function when you are in a deeper level of the On-Screen Setup Menu. A-B Replay To repeatedly play a specified section, please follow these steps: • During normal playback, press the “AB Replay” button at the desired beginning point (Point A) for the repeat play. The TV screen displays “A-”.
scrolls through the choices of searching by time, chapter (track for audio discs), title (video discs only), or display. Select the desired location using the Number Buttons or Cursor (Arrow) Buttons, and then press “Enter”. For video discs, when the cursor is positioned on the Time Counter, you can use the “Page Up” and “Page Down” buttons to toggle between Title Time or Chapter Time. The icon to the left of the Time Counter will change from “T” for Title Time to “C” for Chapter Time.
Each press of the “Fwd” button switches the playback speed in the following sequence: Press the “Play” button to resume normal playback. Angle When playing a DVD or Blu-ray disc, an angle mark will be displayed on the screen when the player detects scenes recorded with multiple angles: The angle mark is also illuminated on the front panel display. Press the “Angle” button on the remote control to select the desired playing angle.
The PIP and SAP marks can be turned off using the On-Screen Setup Menu of the player. The disc menu usually features interactive controls to turn on/off the Picture-in-Picture video and Secondary Audio Program. Please use those controls to select the desired secondary audio/video content. There is a “PIP” button on the remote control.
When the display is off, pressing any button will illuminate the display for a few seconds. If the disc is playing when the display is off, pressing “Play” will illuminate the display without affecting playback. Power In addition to the red “Power” button that toggles DSD the power state of the DX-5 , there are also discrete power buttons. These will not be used in normal use, as the user can see the state of the unit at a glance.
Zoom The “Zoom” button zooms in or out of the displayed frame and also changes the aspect ratio (image width vs. Height). To change the zoom level, press the “Zoom” button on the remote control. Each press of the “Zoom” button will switch the zoom level in the following sequence: • 1:1 (No zooming.) The zoom level is reset to 1:1 when the disc is ejected, or when the player is turned off. • Stretch – This zoom mode stretches and distorts the image. It is not recommended except in one specific situation.
borders on all four sides. The top and bottom borders are encoded into the video. The left and right borders are added by the player to maintain the correct aspect ratio. For this type of discs the “Full Screen” zoom mode can be used to eliminate the borders. • Under Scan – The “Under Scan” zoom level shrinks the image by 5%.
On-Screen Setup Menu DSD The Ayre DX-5 has an On-Screen Setup Menu that allows you to adjust a variety of system settings to ensure compatibility with your system. The basic menu items have normally already been set up with the Video Setup (see page 13). Following is information regarding the more detailed items for advanced users. To access the On-Screen Setup Menu, press the “Setup” button located above the “Red” button on the remote control.
Navigating the On-Screen Setup Menu After entering the On-Screen Setup Menu, you will see that there are six main categories at the left, along with the “Exit” choice. As you use the “Up” and “Down” arrow buttons to navigate these Setup Menu choices, you will see various Menu Items appear for each choice. If there are more Menu Items than will fit on the screen, triangular arrow “Scroll” icons will be displayed at the top or bottom of the Setup Menu screen, indicating that additional choices exist.
Press the “Setup” button again to exit the On-Screen Setup Menu or select “Exit” from the Setup Menu options. The settings are permanently changed when the player is turned off. Playback Setup The “Playback Setup” section is designed to configure playback preferences for various content. SACD Priority Select which audio area to play for SACD. Virtually all multi-channel SACDs also have a stereo area. Many, but not all, SACDs also have a second layer with standard CD data.
• Stereo (default) – Play the two-channel audio layer. Select this option if you have a two-channel audio system (normally connected via the analog audio outputs). • CD Mode – Play the CD layer of a hybrid SACD disc. The only reason to select this option is if you have a two-channel audio system and you are playing one of a handful of discs that doesn’t have a stereo SACD layer.
Auto Play Mode Select whether the player shall start playing an audio CD or SACD automatically. • On – These discs will start playing upon insertion into the player. This allows audio discs to mimic the behavior of video discs. • Off (default) – The player will wait for the user to start playback by pressing the “Play” button. This allows audio discs to behave as they normally would in an audio-only player. PBC Enable/disable Play Back Control. PBC is a disc menu used on VCDs (Video CDs).
• BD Ratings - Press the “Up” and “Down” buttons to select the rating. “Off” means all discs are allowed. Numbers 1 to 21 correspond to the age limit. Any rating above the selected age will be blocked. • DVD Ratings - Press the “Up” and “Down” buttons to select the rating. The available ratings are Kid, G, PG, PG-13, PGR, R, NC17, Adult, and Off. The selected rating and below are allowed. “Off” means all discs are allowed.
• Subtitle Language – To choose the preferred subtitle language for DVD. If a subtitle of the selected language is available, it will be displayed. When “Auto” is selected, the subtitle display is decided by the disc. The most common language choices (English, French, Spanish, Chinese) are available directly from the on-screen menu. Many other language choices are also available by selecting “Other” and entering the four-digit language code.
Picture Adjustment DSD The DX-5 contains a powerful video processing engine. Its output parameters can be adjusted by accessing the “Picture Adjustment” menu. However, in general these adjustments should be avoided. Any processing runs the risk of reducing the signal quality. • Brightness: Adjusts the brightness (black level) of the video output. • Contrast: Adjusts the contrast (white level) of the video output.
• Detail Enhancement (Sharpness): Adjusts the sharpness of video output. Detail enhancement level can be set between -16 and +16. The default is level 0, which turns off detail enhancement. This control is unnecessary when the video disc provides a high-quality signal. Its use should be limited to attempts to improve low-quality discs. • Edge Enhancement: Adjusts the sharpness of object edges in the video. Edge enhancement level can be set between -16 and +16. The default is level 0.
• Border Level: Sets the brightness level of the border area when borders are inserted by the player to maintain correct aspect ratio. The default level is 0, which corresponds to total black. If you set it to a positive level, the bars gradually become lighter grey instead of black. This setting may be useful for users with plasma or CRT TVs that are sensitive to “burn-in”.
Selecting this setting will result in only a low-quality signal at the composite video output. Do not use this setting. TV Aspect Ratio Sets the aspect ratio of the player’s output image. The options are: • 4:3 Letterbox – Choose this when the display is standard 4:3. A widescreen image is displayed in “letterbox” format with black borders on top and bottom. • 4:3 Pan & Scan – Choose this when the display is standard 4:3.
TV System You also may wish to play video discs from other countries. In this situation you must consider whether the video standards match between the disc and your video display. There are two commonly used video standards, NTSC and PAL. NTSC is used in North America and Japan, while PAL is used in Europe, Asia (except Japan), Australia, South America, and Africa. Select the output video standard to match your display. The options are: • Multi-system (default) – No system conversion is performed.
If your display is compatible with both video standards, select “Multi-system”. Then when playing an NTSC disc the player will output an NTSC signal, and when playing a PAL disc the player will output a PAL signal. This ability to display the “native” format of the source material provides the very highest picture quality. However, many video displays will only accept one type of signal and not the other. In this case the DSD DX-5 is capable of transcoding from one video format to the other.
There is also an “Auto” mode that depends on the display communicating properly with the DSD DX-5 . It should usually provide good results but in some cases there may be incompatibilities. DSD The DX-5 also supports a special Source Direct output resolution. This resolution is only recommended for use with high-performance external video processors. In Source Direct mode, the player works as a “transport”.
display the entire frame simultaneously and with a small fraction of “dead time”. However a home video display operates under different conditions and normally uses a refresh rate of 60Hz in NTSC countries (North America and Japan) to provide smooth motion. Since 60Hz is not an even multiple of the 24Hz rate used in theatrical movies, the frame rate must be multiplied by 2.5. This is achieved by displaying one frame twice and the next frame three times, a process called “2:3 pulldown”.
DVD 24p Conversion Sets 24Hz frame rate conversion for DVD. This option only applies to the HDMI output and is available only when “1080p24 Output” is enabled (set to Auto or On). Many DVDs that originated from theatrical movies are encoded using a method called “2:3 telecine” to convert the 24 frames per second film to 60Hz video DSD signal. The Ayre DX-5 can convert the 60Hz video signal back to 24 frames per second and output as 1080p 24Hz.
HDMI Options Configures video options for the HDMI output. There is a sub-menu with the following settings: • De-interlacing Mode – Selects the deinterlacing algorithm that the player should use to convert interlaced video on a disc to progressive output. The proper mode will ensure the output video is free of artifacts. The available options are: • Auto (default) – Source adaptive deinterlacing is on. This is the recommended setting as the player will optimally process a variety of signals.
source and the correct mode can be chosen by simply trying both of them and selecting the one which does not result in combing artifacts. The “Auto” setting is highly recommended. The video processing engine designed by Anchor Bay Technology has enough “intelligence” to select the best deinterlacing mode automatically. • CUE Correction – Selects whether the player should apply filtering to remove Chroma Upsampling Errors (CUE) and the Interlaced Chroma Problem (ICP).
• Auto (default) – The player communicates with the display to automatically determine what color space to use. If the display device supports YCbCr 4:4:4, then it will be used to avoid additional color space conversions. • RGB Video Level – The HDMI output uses RGB color space and normal signal range suitable for video displays. • RGB PC Level – The HDMI output uses RGB color space and expands the signal range for personal computer (PC) displays.
dithering 36-bit to 30-bit or 24-bit may produce an image that is visually smoother than rounding 36-bit to 30- or 24-bit. The available options are: • 36 Bits – Use 36-bit per pixel Deep Color. • 30 Bits (Dithered) – Use 30-bit per pixel Deep Color with dithering applied. • 30 Bits – Use 30-bit per pixel Deep Color. • Off (Dithered) – Do not use Deep Color but apply dithering to the color signal. • Off (default) – Do not use Deep Color.
• On – The video screen will be split in half. The left side demonstrates the result of the VRS video processing, and the right side shows video without the help VRS video processing. • Off (default) – Normal viewing mode. • A/V Sync – Adds a delay to the audio portion of the HDMI A/V Output. It is not recommended to use the audio portion of the HDMI A/V Output. Improved sound quality is obtained by using the HDMI Audio Output.
• Silent – On-screen display information shows on the screen for a few seconds and then disappears. The front panel display still maintains the selected display information. • Remaining – On-screen display information stays on the screen until the user cancels it. However, it displays remaining time instead of elapsed time. • Angle Mark – Turn on/off the display of an angle mark when a video disc with multiple available angles is played.
• Off – The screen saver will not be activated. Use this option if your display does not have burn-in issues (e.g., DLP, D-ILA, LCD). • Energy Saver – Video output will be turned off after 3 minutes of inactivity. Many projectors and LCD displays will go into a standby or sleep mode and turn off their projection or backlight lamp, thus saving energy and prolonging the lamp life.
Secondary Audio Sets the Secondary Audio Program (SAP) mixing option. Some Blu-ray discs contain a secondary program, such as a director’s commentary or menu sounds. This menu item allows you to mix the SAP sounds into the primary audio. The options are: • On – The Secondary Audio Program and menu sounds are mixed into the primary audio. High resolution primary audio will be converted to normal resolution in order to mix with the secondary audio.
• Bitstream – Digital audio output will be in the format encoded on the disc. • Off (default) – No digital audio output via the HDMI A/V Output. This is the recommended setting. The HDMI Audio Output will provide higher performance than the audio output of the HDMI A/V Output. It is recommended to use the HDMI Audio Output and set the HDMI Audio option to “Off”.
Nearly all systems will achieve higher sound quality with this selection set to “DSD”. The only time to select “PCM” is if you wish to listen to SACDs in multi-channel while using a surround-sound processor that is new enough to have an HDMI input for audio but old enough that it does not support DSD.
Coaxial/Optical Output Sets the output format for the (AES/EBU) Digital Audio Output for use with Dolby Digital and DTS-compatible surround-sound processors. The options are: • LPCM – Creates downmixed two-channel digital audio output. However, no external converter will outperform the one built into the unit that drives the Analog Audio Outputs. • Bitstream (default) – Passes audio as compressed bitstream format to the receiver/amplifier.
• 48K – Supported by most equipment. • 96K – Allows a higher sampling rate for better audio quality. Ensure that the receiver/amplifier can support it. • 192K (default) – Allows the highest sampling rate for best audio quality. Ensure that the receiver/amplifier can support it. This output will only be used with older surround-sound processors that lack an HDMI input. Select the highest sample rate supported by your processor.
Speaker Configuration “Speaker Configuration” applies only to the HDMI Audio Output and LFE Mixdown mode. The other digital outputs and normal operation of the Analog Audio Outputs are unaffected by these settings. For proper performance of the HDMI Audio Output and LFE Mixdown mode, it is critical that the settings be adjusted exactly as they were pre-configured at the factory. If they should ever be changed, be sure to revert them to their original settings as explained below.
Do not ever change these settings, as this will adversely affect the sound from the HDMI Audio Output or if the LFE Mixdown mode is engaged. The operation “Reset Factory Defaults” will automatically change these settings, requiring you to reset the “Speaker Configuration” settings for proper operation of the HDMI Audio Output and LFE Mixdown mode. Dynamic Range Control Sets the audio Dynamic Range Control (DRC). DRC tends to make all sounds play back at a similar loudness.
Device Setup The “Device Setup” section of the On-Screen Setup Menu system allows you to configure additional player options related to the hardware and control functions. The menu items in this section are: Firmware Information Displays the currently installed firmware version. Firmware Upgrade Upgrades the player’s firmware. This operation is only available when the playback is completely stopped. The firmware is the system software that controls the features and functions of the player.
to check for firmware updates and instructions on installing the updates. There are three ways to upgrade the player’s firmware. The options are: • Via USB – You may download the firmware files from Ayre’s web site to a solid-state USB (“thumb”) drive and use the drive to upgrade the player. Please follow the instructions on the firmware download web page.
Remote Control Code DSD The Ayre DX-5 can respond to one of 4 sets of remote control codes. The default is “Code 1”. If you DSD have other products that respond to the DX-5 remote control, you can select a different remote code to avoid conflicts. The available codes are: • Code 1 (default) – Remote code set 1. This is the normal remote code. • Code 2 – Remote code set 2. Use this code if you have other products that conflict with the DSD Ayre DX-5 . • Code 3 – Remote code set 3.
HDMI CEC Sets the HDMI Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) mode. CEC is an optional HDMI feature that enables remote control and automatic setup of consumer electronics over the HDMI connection. The remote control function allows you to use a single remote handset to operate multiple devices connected via HDMI. For example, you may use the TV remote to control playback of the Blu-ray disc player.
mode if you do not want the automatic setup function to turn on/off your devices. • Off (default) – HDMI CEC feature is turned off. The player will not respond to HDMI CEC commands from other devices, nor will it setup other devices automatically. The HDMI CEC feature only operates with the main HDMI video port. It does not operate with the separate HDMI Audio Output. Dimmer Control Controls the display intensity of the front panel Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) information window.
Persistent Storage Manages the persistent storage for BD-Video content. The persistent storage is a data storage area that holds additional content for BonusView and BD-Live features. The data will be kept even if you turn off the player. The following persistent storage management options are available: • Storage Device – Selects which storage device should be used as the persistent storage. The DSD Ayre DX-5 is equipped with 1GB of internal flash memory.
• Total Space – To display the total space of the persistent storage. • Available Space – To display the currently available space of the persistent storage. If the available space becomes too low, some Blu-ray discs may not play properly. • Erase BD-Video Data – To erase the BD-Video data from the persistent storage. Reset Factory Defaults Resets all settings to the factory default value. The remote control code, parental control password, and ratings will not be reset.
Network Setup The “Network Setup” section of the Setup Menu system allows you to configure the parameters for the internet connection of the player, test the connection and restrict BD-Live access. An internet connection is strictly optional. It allows for easy firmware updates and also access to additional material on some newer Blu-ray discs. The menu items in this section are: IP Configuration Determines how the player obtains its IP (Internet Protocol) address.
• Manual – Manually enter the numeric IP address information. Set the IP configuration manually only when the router has no DHCP server functions or when the router’s DHCP server function is disabled. For more information on how to manually configure the internet connection and what values to use, please consult your router/modem instruction manuals or call your internet service provider. IP Address Displays the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the player.
DNS 1 Displays the IP address of the first (primary) DNS (Domain Name System) server. DNS is the mechanism to translate human-readable addresses (such as “www.ayre.com”) to numeric IP addresses. When “IP Configuration” is set to “Auto (DHCP)”, the value displayed here is obtained using DHCP and cannot be changed. DNS 2 Displays the IP address of the second (secondary) DNS server. When “IP Configuration” is set to “Auto (DHCP)”, the value displayed here is obtained using DHCP and cannot be changed.
Connection Test Tests the internet connection. It is recommended that you test the connection when you initially connect the player to the internet, or whenever changes to “IP Configuration” and other network parameters are made. MAC Address This read-only field displays the MAC (Media Access Control) address of the player. Each networked device has a unique MAC address. It is used by network controllers (such as a router or PC) on the same network to provide identification and facilitate communication.
Complete Language List Abkhazian (ab), 6566 Afar (aa), 6565 Afrikaans (af), 6570 Albanian (sq), 8381 Amharic (am), 6577 Arabic (ar), 6582 Armenian (hy), 7289 Assamese (as), 6583 Aymara (ay), 6588 Azerbaijani (az), 6590 Bashkir (ba), 6665 Basque (eu), 6985 Bengali (bn), 6678 Bhutani (dz), 6890 Bihari (bh), 6672 Breton (br), 6682 Bulgarian (bg), 6671 Burmese (my), 7789 Byelorussian (be), 6669 Cambodian (km), 7577 Catalan (ca), 6765 Chinese (zh), 9072 Corsican (co), 6779 Croatian (hr), 7282 Czech (cs), 6783 Da
Guarani (gn), 7178 Gujarati (gu), 7185 Hausa (ha), 7265 Hindi (hi), 7273 Hungarian (hu), 7285 Icelandic (is), 7383 Indonesian (in), 7378 Interlingua (ia), 7365 Irish (ga), 7165 Italian (it), 7384 Hebrew (iw), 7387 Japanese (ja), 7465 Javanese (jw), 7487 Kazakh (kk), 7575 Kannada (kn), 7578 Kashmiri (ks), 7583 Kirghiz (ky), 7589 Korean (ko), 7579 Kurdish (ku), 7585 Laothian (lo), 7679 Latin (la), 7665 Lingala (ln), 7678 Lithuanian (lt), 7684 Latvian (lv), 7686 Macedonian (mk), 7775 Malagasy (mg), 7771 Malay
Rhaeto-Romance (rm), 8277 Romanian (ro), 8279 Russian (ru), 8285 Samoan (sm), 8377 Sanskrit (sa), 8365 Scots-Gaelic (gd), 7168 Serbian (sr), 8382 Serbo-Croatian (sh), 8372 Shona (sn), 8378 Sindhi (sd), 8368 Singhalese (si), 8373 Slovak (sk), 8375 Slovenian (sl), 8376 Somali (so), 8379 Spanish (es), 6983 Sundanese (su), 8385 Swahili (sw), 8387 Swedish (sv), 8386 Tagalog (tl), 8476 Tajik (tg), 8471 Tamil (ta), 8465 Tatar (tt), 8484 Telugu (te), 8469 Thai (th), 8472 Tibetan (bo), 6679 Tigrinya (ti), 8473 Tonga
On-Screen Menu Settings Checklist In case the On-Screen Menu settings are accidentally changed, it is important to return the settings to the correct values. There is an On-Screen Menu option Reset Factory Defaults, but these settings will not give the proper results for the HDMI Audio Output and LFE Mixdown mode. There is also an “Initial Wizard” that will quickly set up many menu items, but it also will not provide the correct settings for the HDMI Audio Output and LFE Mixdown mode.
Initial Wizard The Initial Wizard only appears after the “Reset Factory Defaults” menu setting has been run. It is useful for selecting a few of the basic settings, but many other On-Screen Menu Settings will have to be changed manually. Primary video output [ HDMI | Component ] DSD (HDMI is the only video output on the Ayre DX-5 . Selecting “Component” will result in no picture.
Parental Control (None of these are changed by “Reset Factory Default”.
Edge Enhancement [ -16–0–16 ] Noise Reduction [ 0–8 ] Y© Delay [ -16–0–16 ] Border Level [ 0–16 ] Primary Output [ HDMI | Component ] (The only video output on the Ayre DX-5DSD is the HDMI A/V Output. Selecting “Component” will yield no picture.) TV Aspect Ratio [ 4:3 Letterbox | 4:3 Pan & Scan | 16:9 Wide | 16:9 Wide/Auto ] (“4:3 Letterbox” is correct for a standard 4:3 display. “16:9 Wide/Auto” is correct for a widescreen 16:9 display.
Demo Mode [ On | Off ] A/V Sync [ 0–200 ] (Only for HDMI.) Display Options Subtitle Shift [ -5–0–5 ] OSD Position [ 0–5 ] OSD Mode [ Normal | Silent | Remaining ] Angle Mark [ Off | On ] PIP Mark [ Off | On ] SAP Mark [ Off | On ] Screen Saver [ On | Off | Energy Saver ] Audio Format Setup Secondary Audio [ On | Off ] (Default = On when Initial Wizard: Compatible.) HDMI Audio [ Auto | LPCM | Bitstream | Off ] (Default = Auto when Initial Wizard: Compatible.
Audio Processing Speaker Configuration (These settings affect the HDMI Audio Output and LFE Mixdown. They must be set correctly for proper operation.) FL Size [ Small | Large ] Distance [ 0–12–60 ] (Same as FR.) Trim [ -10.0–0.0–10.0 ] SW Size [ On | Off ] Distance [ 0–12–60 ] Trim [ -10.0–0.0–5.0–10.0 ] C Size [ Small | Large | Off ] Distance [ 0–12–60 ] Trim [ -10.0–0.0–10.0 ] FR Size [ Small | Large ] Distance [ 0–12–60 ] (Same as FL.) Trim [ -10.0–0.0–10.
Dynamic Range Control [ Auto | On | Off ] Device Setup Firmware Information Firmware Upgrade Firmware Notification [ On | Off ] Remote Control Code [ Code 1 | Code 2 | Code 3 | Alt. Code ] (”Remote Control Code” is not changed by “Reset Factory Default”.
Network Setup IP Configuration [ Auto (DHCP) | Manual ] IP Address [ _ . _ . _ . _ ] (Only when IP Configuration = Manual.) Subnet Mask [ _ . _ . _ . _ ] (Only when IP Configuration = Manual.) Gateway [ _ . _ . _ . _ ] (Only when IP Configuration = Manual.) DNS 1 [ _ . _ . _ . _ ] (Only when IP Configuration = Manual.) DNS 2 [ _ . _ . _ . _ ] (Only when IP Configuration = Manual.
Numbers and Specifications HDMI Video Output Selectable output formats: RGB, video levels (16 - 235) RGB, PC levels (0 - 255) YCbCr, 4:4:4, video levels (16 - 235) YCbCr, 4:2:2, video levels (16 - 235) “Deep Color” – 10 bits per color “Deep Color” – 12 bits per color NTSC: 480i/480p/720p/1080i/1080p/1080p24 PAL: 576i/576p/720p/1080i/1080p/1080p24 HDMI Audio Output Selectable output formats: PCM (standard discs) DSD or PCM (SACDs) (All compressed formats decoded to PCM) Analog Audio – Maximum Output Lev
Analog Audio – XLR Output Polarity Analog Audio – Frequency Response (“Measure” Mode) Disc Types Power Consumption Dimensions Weight Pin 1 = Ground Pin 2 = Non-inverting (Positive) Pin 3 = Inverting (Negative) DC - 20 kHz (44.1 kHz sample rate) DC - 22 kHz (48 kHz sample rate) DC - 40 kHz (88.2 kHz sample rate) DC - 44 kHz (96 kHz sample rate) DC - 80 kHz (176.4 kHz sample rate) DC - 88 kHz (192 kHz sample rate) DC - 100 kHz (2.
Statement of Warranty North American Warranty DSD Your Ayre DX-5 universal stereo player is warranted against defects in workmanship and materials for a period of ninety days from the date of original purchase. This ninety-day coverage is automatic upon acceptance of delivery and no registration is required.
North American Warranty Statement 1. If any defects are found in the materials or workmanship of this Ayre product within the warranty period, the unit will be repaired or replaced by Ayre Acoustics, Inc. (Ayre) or its authorized agent. 2. Purchaser must return the product, packed in the original shipping carton, freight prepaid to: Ayre Acoustics, Inc. 2300-B Central Avenue Boulder, Colorado 80301 or to Ayre’s authorized agent.
4. Ayre strives to manufacture the finest possible equipment, and therefore reserves the right to make improvements on its products, without necessarily assuming any obligation to retrofit such changes upon its previously manufactured models. 5. The above warranty is the sole warranty given by Ayre, and is in lieu of all other warranties. All implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose shall be strictly limited to the duration of the above warranty.
A Technical Glossary 480i Shorthand for an interlaced NTSC signal, where “480” refers to the number of actual picture lines and “I” refers to Interlaced. This is the resolution normally available from North American DVDs sourced directly from video cameras. 480p Shorthand for a progressive NTSC signal, where “480” refers to the number of actual picture lines and “p” refers to Progressive. This is the resolution normally available from North American DVDs sourced from film.
116 720p Shorthand for a progressive ATSC high-definition signal, where “720” refers to the number of actual picture lines and “p” refers to Progressive. Some DSD broadcasts use 720p resolution, and the DX-5 can scale all video discs to 720p if that matches your display best. 1080i Shorthand for an interlaced ATSC high-definition signal, where “1080” refers to the number of actual picture lines and “I” refers to Interlaced.
Aspect Ratio ATSC The ratio of the video display’s width to its height. The two common aspect ratios used for video displays are 16:9 (1.78:1), also known as “widescreen”, and 4:3 (1.33:1), also known as “standard”. The Advanced Television Systems Committee was established in the USA to oversee the transition from the original analog broadcast system to the current digital high-definition broadcast system. AVC AVC (Advanced Video Coding) is a video compression algorithm used in the some Blu-ray discs.
With the advent of Blu-ray, the additional storage space has allowed for lossless audio compression schemes. While the compression ratio is typically five times lower than lossy compression, lossless compression allows for the exact reproduction of the original PCM signal. Compressed Video D-ILA Digital-Imaging Light Amplifier is a type of LCOS video display technology developed by JVC. This is one example of a Fixed Pixel display.
DSD Direct Stream Digital is the name for a Pulse Demsity Modulation (PDM) digital encoding scheme. DTS A Compressed Audio format developed by Digital Theater Systems. A DTS soundtrack is found on some DVDs, and in generally considered to sound better than the Dolby Digital soundtrack, in part due to the higher data rates used. For higher quality audio on Blu-ray discs DTS has developed DTS-HD Master Audio, a Lossless Audio compression format.
HDCP Interlaced An interlaced video system draws half of the picture lines on the video display at a time. The odd-numbered lines are displayed in one pass and the even numbered lines in the next. The interlaced format was developed as a means of reducing the bandwidth required for television broadcasting, but can result in visible artifacts in the picture compared to Progressive video. LCD A Liquid Crystal Display is the familiar display as found on laptop computers.
MPEG Moving Picture Experts Group is an international standards organization that developed the MPEG-2 video compression algorithm used in the DVD format and some Blu-ray discs. MPEG Audio One type of Compressed Audio developed by Philips. This was originally proposed as the audio format to be used on European DVDs, in a political compromise designed to share royalty revenues between Philips and Dolby. Philips was late to market with this format, and it has now largely been supplanted by Dolby Digital.
122 Pixel As digital formats, DVD and Blu-ray reproduce video image as a grid of very fine colored dots. The smallest element of this video image is called a pixel, which is a shortened form of “picture element”. Plasma A plasma video display uses ionized gases to excite colored phosphors, similar to the way that a fluorescent light bulb operates. This is one example of a Fixed Pixel display. Progressive A progressive video system draws all of the picture lines on the video display in one pass.
Scaling Scaling is the process of converting a video signal from one Resolution to another. As with any type of signal processing, care must be taken to ensure that the signal is not degraded by the processing itself. S/PDIF The Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format is commonly used to transmit digital audio information from a source (such as a DVD player) to a receiver (such as a surround-sound processor). The connectors used for S/PDIF are common RCA (Cinch) connectors. Also see AES/EBU.
A Place for Notes 124 Serial Number: ________________________________________ Purchase Date: ________________________________________ Dealer: ________________________________________ Salesperson: ________________________________________ Rev 2.
Ayre Acoustics, Inc. 2300-B Central Avenue Boulder, Colorado 80301 www.ayre.
