Specifications

©DAGOGO 2010 – special reprint by permission. Page 16

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. Let’s begin at the

first rung of the ladder, which is in no way to indicate absolute quality, but merely to compare to

other players I’ve used. Here is how my “Ladder of CD Players” would look:

Rung: Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 with Upsampler

Rung: Rega Apollo

Rung: Rega Saturn

Rung: Ayon CD-1

Rung: Cambridge Audio Azur 840C

Rung: Ayon CD-2 and

Now an extension needs to be added to the

ladder…

Rung: *PS Audio Perfect Wave Transport/DAC

Rung: Ayon CD-5

*Note: Perfect Wave rating based on one week demo in my room; I freely admit this is not

enough time to render a definitive judgment.

This illustration should impart several of my conclusions regarding the CD-5 in terms of sonic

satisfaction, most obviously that I find it in a different category from most others. It also holds