DX-5 DSD

About the DX-5 DSD

The Ayre DX-5 DSD is a thoroughly reworked version of the original DX-5 universal A/V engine, designed to play all commercially available 5" discs and support high-resolution PCM and native DSD file playback. It uses ESS ES9016 Sabre DACs capable of decoding PCM up to 32 bits and native DSD, with onboard jitter reduction and DSP. The player features low-phase-noise master clocks running at twice the frequency for enhanced DAC performance, upgraded analog circuitry and power supplies, and an added AC power supply for the USB input for improved performance. It maintains Ayre's hallmark design elements such as fully balanced analog output circuits, zero-feedback analog power supplies, galvanic isolation via high-speed opto-isolators, and proprietary minimum-phase digital filters implemented in an FPGA. The DX-5 DSD supports asynchronous USB Audio 2.0 protocol with bit depths up to 24 bits and sample rates up to 192kHz, and provides both balanced XLR and single-ended RCA analog outputs. It also offers extensive HDMI outputs for audio and video with selectable formats and supports multi-channel audio via HDMI. The unit is based on the Oppo BDP-83 transport but is otherwise fully designed and built by Ayre, emphasizing low jitter, minimal electrical noise, and high fidelity digital-to-analog conversion. The upgrade to the DX-5 DSD involves swapping circuit boards and a complete disassembly, costing approximately for existing DX-5 owners.