Be interesting to hear how it compares with the temporary set up

'Twill be a while. Or possibly not, depending on a conversation I will be having this week

Ayre C-5xe MP Upgraded by Coherent Systems

This is as much a review of Coherent's modification services as it is of taking a great player (a Stereophile Class A+ component) and making it world class.

I won't bore you with an appraisal of the C-5xe, suffice to say that it was one of the first 'universal' audio players, capable of playing CD, SACD and DVD-A (but not Blu-ray, which came about after the model's release). A mid-term upgrade to Minimum Phase digital processing was offered, which further improved sound quality and which I had installed in the player by the official UK agent. Sound quality has always been great and the player has garnered a lot of worldwide respect. Although pricy, it was nowhere near as costly as a lot of 'high end' but inferior machines. I bought mine as an order cancellation at just over £2k with my old SCD-1 as part-ex.

So what has Tony at Coherent done? A lot of work around the power supply, from main reservoirs to selective decoupling, a mixture of standard components and surface mount. All directed at improving the stability of the power rails and removing noise, especially around the all-important clock circuit. Considering he had to order some of the components (like Dubilier pancake caps and three-pin soft recovery rectifiers) from the USA, the whole job was completed in about a week which is fast work.

I heard the Ayre playing on Tony's system as I was collecting it, and first impressions were very promising. It had had about 72 hours of soak test and I've put more hours on it as soon as I got it back to my system. Here are my notes:

My immediate impression upon playing some favourite CDs was that it felt like a big sub had been added. The very lowest octave is noticeable in the sound of air moving around the auditorium, like the thrum of an underground train approaching a station, really widening and deepening the soundstage and making it more of an immersive experience. Music with actual deep bass content is tighter and more potent. The soundstage on good SACD recordings is simply immense, a completely analogue-like portrayal of a big acoustic.

There is a reduction in noise floor, voices start and stop with an immediacy that can be shocking. Dynamic transients like most hand-held percussion instruments have more shape to them, the cues that tell you how they are being played.

The high frequency shimmer of cymbals, even on CD replay, has harmonics and decay that are more fully formed, defying red book's limited encoding format. Cymbals on SACD are amazingly realistic.

The Ayre has interestingly differentiated the sound of SACD versus DVD-A in that they more obviously play to their strengths: SACD with that simply huge soundstage and the feeling of being there; DVD-A with incredible detail, micro-dynamics and effortless high frequencies.

Overall this is a set of modifications that have strengthened the Ayre's already great performance without in any way damaging its characteristic sound. Thank you Tony, your work has certainly improved my enjoyment of my collection.

So I will have to come down soon !

Edit
I'll bring my 'real' CD player to compare

More music tonight, with the highlight being my treasured Duruflé Requiem with Shaw/Atlanta SO on Telarc. The music alternates between achingly beautiful and rising to enormous crescendi that frazzle your brain. It's also the bastard CD from hell to reproduce well. The dynamic range is huge, from whisper quiet to full-on gates of doom, and the massed choirs tend too easily to sound like a homogeneous mess. Also, there's the organ pedals that reach soooo looow, underpinning the performance in various sections.

Now playing in the Ayre it sounds as it should do: massed vocals that sound like huge forces of individual voices; massive dynamic peaks; gorgeous flow in the strings; big natural acoustic; incredibly extended and tight bass that you feel as well as hear. The emotion was palpable and I had to take a moment afterwards.

This is why we do this hi-fi thing.

Still enjoying the upgraded Ayre sound. I'm hearing new things in every disc I play. The only thing stopping me from listening more is that my room gets hot when the sun is streaming in.

Sounds like a new criteria or at least another method of measuring has been found

If it can make the 1st Kokomo album sound good that would be wonderful

I'll bring Kokomo next time. Think it is beyond redemption.
I'll try it on mine too just in case

Saw Elkie Brooks singing with Vinegar Joe on an old Whistle test recently.
Mouth open awfullness. Just appalling

Sometimes listening to a badly recorded album will tell you a lot about a system