Ayon CD-5 reference CD player with integrated preamplifier Doug Schroeder February 2010 Specifications: Conversation rate 192kHz / 24 bit CD-Transport Philips CD-Pro 2 Tube complement – Analog output stage 4 x 6H30 Tube complement - Power Supply 4 x 6X4 Dynamic range > 110dB Output level @1 kHz / Rms - LOW 0-4V variable Output level @1 kHz / Rms – MED 0-6V variable Output level @1 kHz / Rms - HIGH 0-8V variable to drive a power amp directly Output impedance Single-Ended-RCA ~ 300 Ohms Output impedance Balan
The adolescent Doug Schroeder When I was in my early teens I rode the Screamin’ Eagle rollercoaster at Six Flags St. Louis. What a memorable first ride! It must have been about 1977, maybe a year after the coaster opened, and it was a hot, sticky summer day. At the small band shell near the coaster a funky disco group called KC and the Sunshine Band jammed for riders. I waited impatiently for the front seat of the coaster to have my first ride.
It’s now 2010, I’m back on the Screamin’ Eagle, and no one’s glasses are going to get knocked off. But my hands are in the air, and I’m going, “Woooooooooooo,” as I listen to the Ayon CD5, “Now THIS is a Redbook ride!” I have had the pleasure of reporting on Ayon Audio, a company and components which are among the best designs to emerge in high-end two-channel audio in the latter half of the 1990’s.
C o ns tr uc ti o n Yo u mi ght thi nk that a rec kless statement to make, however you don’t yet know what’s inside the CD-5. Once you know that, you may see I’m not so reckless in that assertion. For starters, the player is huge, at 50 x 41 x 13 cm (approx. 20 x 12.5 x 5 inches) it is quite a bit larger than most players. More volume means more space to include a nice preamp section, which is precisely what Ayon has done.
turning on the unit, the soft start “Warm Up” for tube life preservation is fairly rapid and the player is efficiently prepared for play. The rear of the unit is stuffed with connection options, included at this price level were the expected L/R single ended and balanced inputs and outputs, switchable via a toggle switch. The array of digital input options includes Coaxial, Optical, USB and AES/EBU. Similarly, digital outputs include SPDIF/RCA, I2S, and AES/EBU.
“…perhaps one of the best sounding D/A chips,” in a paired symmetrical configuration and switchable 24 bit/192kHz upsampling make for a solid design. Much of the magic of the CD-5’s sound is found in the highly cultivated power treatment, including a “dual choke” filtered and stabilized power supply with “bridge” tube rectification. P o w er T o T he Pe o pl e! Considering the power supply, I have seen firsthand the impact of good power supply for a speaker.
Putting together, a sweet power supply, primo D/A converters, bridge tube rectification and other features like gold-plated PCB boards and central one-point earth grounding, it combines to make a superior topology, one that is heard as instantly recognizable as superior. A good example was the brief comparison made between the CD-5 and the McIntosh MCD500 SACD/CD player.
Regarding The Variable Output The player now arrives with the level set to “Min”, or no output. Previously the CD-2 arrived with it set to “Max”, which would present a slight problem should an unwitting owner breeze through the manual (No self-respecting audiophile does that, right?), and ignore the caution on level settings when hooking up power amp(s) directly.
control. This was a fun device as it allowed not only for control of the level but also influencing the sense of intensity of the signal. Combine the GAIN feature with the ease and openness of upsampling to 24 bit/192 kHz and the player takes on a lush, smooth sound which is quite addictive. I have generally not used the upsampling feature of players; while it “fills in” the music a bit it tends to smear the signal slightly. While the music becomes more analogue-like it also is less precise.
However, the GAIN feature of the CD-5 allows more conservatively (under 150wpc), or even pusillanimously rated (under 50wpc), amps to be juiced in terms of dynamic power. The effect is heard immediately when the toggle on the back of the CD-5 is moved from the 4V default output position to Low (6V), then to High (8v). The switch can be adjusted on the fly, however, I strongly recommend doing so at low listening level. The sound will cut out only momentarily while the switch resets.
4 Ohm Speakers Become 8 Ohm Speakers! The real fun was had with the GAIN setting used in conjunction with the Legacy Focus SE speakers, VAC Renaissance Signature Preamplifier MkII and Moscode 402Au amplifiers (two used in Biamp mode). These speakers are not terribly difficult to drive, and even though they are 4 Ohm speakers they are 96 dB sensitivity. However, with the Gain setting of the CD-5 only at the null position, at a 4V output, these speakers came to life like I have never heard them prior.
level noise is tolerated in exchange for a much greater dynamic performance from the speakers. In the case of the Helix, which is 102dB sensitive, I was using six channels of Jeff Rowland’s MC-606 with 2,500wpc, so an elevated noise floor was part and parcel of the nature of the rig. I also accepted a certain amount of noise when I built several systems using the Tannoy Glenair speakers. I found there to be a similar relationship between the voltage output of the CD-5, the preamp and the power amplifier.
For those who may encounter it, let me assure you that it’s a mixed result, not all bad. The noise is not appreciated, however the proportionately large jump in macro and micro dynamics is so good that one is tempted to accept the noise for the improvement in visceral impact of the experience.
achieved, it becomes easier to see why some enthusiasts prefer some monitors even when they could own certain floor standing speakers. While it can be fairly easy to set up monitors to pull off this “disappearing act”, it is not so easy for larger speakers, especially panel speakers. Prior to using the CD-5, I had not heard larger panel speakers disappear so convincingly in my room. One reason is that it is not a larger space, being 23’ x 13’.
How wrong I was! Only several weeks later the CD-5 arrived. Had the arrival of the Ayon not been delayed for similar reasons, I would have been able to discuss a head-to-head comparison.
assault. But this never happens with the CD-5, nor does it with rock bands like U2 or Tears for Fears. Where Does The CD-5 Stack Up? Audiophiles are constantly looking for a realistic comparison, a scale if you will, by which to get a straightforward perception of how different components stack up. I will give you myscale, a quick take on how some of the Redbook players I’ve used in the past three years rate, by referring to a ladder’s rungs, positioning them in order of lowest to highest.
the greatest improvement in terms of increasing quality over any other step up in players I used. It is clearly the best of the Ayon players as well. One might suggest that it had better be far superior at the price point. Don’t doubt, it is… by a long shot. In fact, thinking back to all the sources I have heard and elevation of performance between sibling players, this may be the largest disparity in absolute performance I have encountered.
internet based device can deliver much higher than average CD sound. The credit goes to the superb upsampling DAC in the CD-5, and a premier digital cable in the Gold Starlight 6. Your Choice The question to be asked about the CD-5 is not, “How good a player is it?” It’s really good, reference quality good. Rather, it is a question of what kind of system is desired.
formidable is that it’s the complete package – screamin’ good Redbook, a clean and rich sounding preamp stage, chocked full of inputs, with looks and a U.S. distributor with a good track record. Gerhard Hirt has come up with another player with an extremely attractive set of attributes.
