Specifications

©DAGOGO 2010 – special reprint by permission. Page 13
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. Just as vinylphiles accept a higher noise threshold to attain the analogue sound, I’m
very tempted to ignore the elevated noise floor to experience the immediacy and vitality which
the high power/high gain rig produces. Once the music started, the Legacy Focus SE speakers
acted as though they had been hot rodded. I have never heard them sound so much like an
oversized monitor, with all the attributes of a full-range, but the punch, quickness and vibrancy
of a smaller speaker.
What if you currently have a higher-power amp, say 300wpc or higher, and you wonder if the
Ayon would work for you. You need to answer a few questions: Can you accept the possibility
of an elevated noise floor for a greatly elevated overall performance? If your answer is no, that
you need absolute silence in the silent moments in the music, then you have two options: Ignore
this player, or – and I am perfectly serious – get the CD-5 and ditch the amps. Knowing the
Ayon player as well as I do, I would likely keep it and look for other amplification. My
reasoning is that there are many amps which can do well with the CD-5, but there are very few
players I know of which can do what the CD-5 does.
The amps which will be most highly benefited are lower-power, say, 25 wpc or even less and
made for highly efficient speakers. The theory is, with use of the High Gain setting, such amps
will be given enough power to handle more inefficient speakers. This opens up a new world for
people to combine low power amps with inefficient speakers, possibly even magnetic planars or
electrostats! Maddeningly, I do not have any SET amps on hand now to test this!
Low-power amps are not typically recommended for panel speakers because they have difficult
impedance curves and are so tough to drive that they can even prove fatal to the amp. For those
who cannot part with lower-power amps, outboard transformers such as the Speltz Autoformer
are available. However, Ayon has now given a cause for single-ended triode fans to celebrate, as
it seems another option is on the table with the CD-5. If you are a low-power amp fan and are
curious about the CD-5, you should consult with Ayon Audio to gain assurance regarding
potential combinations of amp and speaker. I also would caution the use of the CD-5 along with
a low-powered amp and a device like the Speltz Autoformer. Consult with all manufacturers
involved to arrive at your decision regarding usage.
Jumbo Jet Disappearing Act
It has been asserted that big speakers cannot “disappear”, that is, throw such a deep and spacious
soundstage it’s as if they aren’t there. Just as magicians cannot get a jumbo jet to disappear if the
stage is not set properly, so will you not be able to hear this effect if you don’t have your
speakers set up properly in the room. I had obtained this result wonderfully with the Wharfedale
Opus 2-M2 monitors as I had them five feet from the head wall, approximately six feet apart and
8 feet from my listening chair. The sense of the music emanating from far beyond the speakers
themselves was very strong and the experience most satisfying. When such a convincing result is