Ayre DX-5 bluray player - Page 27

In its latest issue (10/2010) german print magazine AUDIO (www.audio.de) published a review of the DX-5. It's not online, so to sum it up they focused a lot on HDMI playback qualities and only shortly discussed the quality of the analog outputs. CD and USB ualities were praised very much, but they were not satisfied with SACD playback. In my opinion, the entire review is focused on the wrong emphases, talking mainly about HDMI integration into A/V surround set-ups but give not enough emphasis on analog stereo reproduction, which is what I am interested mostly. From my experience with the DX-5 and comparisons to the Krell Evo 505, I cannot confirm their disappointing evaluation regarding SACD quality, so do not take this point in the review too serious...

I brought that up with the folks at Oppo. What a great crew! They bought the disc and tested it within a few weeks. Here is their report:

> We received the disc "Hulk Der Unglaubliche (The Incredible Hulk)"
> German version by Concorde Home Entertainment. Our test did not
> encounter any playback problems.
>
> We would recommend:
>
> 1. Make sure that the user has the latest firmware.
> 2. Obtain the disc from the user and test.
> 3. Obtain the player from the user and test.

Based on this, I would say that almost certainly you simply have a bad copy of the disc. I would recommend replacing it, as I think that will solve the problems you have been experiencing.

I've had a couple of new release Blu Ray discs that refused to play on my DX-5. The solution was to go into setup and erase the data in the Persistent Storage. Hopefully Oppo will deal with this on the next firmware update.

We should have a new one in a few weeks. When it comes to discs, you never know what it will fix. The problem is that there are too many ways for the disc company to mess up during the authoring stage. Keep your fingers crossed.

By the way, this may be the desired behavior. There is 1 GB of persistent storage for the BD-Live features that are downloaded from the internet. If the memory is full and you try to play another BD-Live disc, it is probably best that it not just automatically play and then overwrite the content for the previous discs. However, ideally it would give you an error message so that you knew why the new disc wouldn't play.

I got DX-5 yesterday and I have some critical bug on HDMI audio only output especially when it plays high rez 96/24 bluray music titles.
initial 10-15 minites work fine but DX-5's sound crashes or no signal several minites later when I swich to other Inputs such as CD(assigned analog out from DX-5) or PS3, DX-5 via HDMI audio only output became unstable. I use HDMI audio only output to my SSP because No.40 HD does not accept 1080P.
I've tested other SSP, Classe SSP-800, have same problem(I even tried with other DX-5,dealer demo)
Would you check this issue?

Switching to another input, such as the analog out from the DX-5, shuts down the HDMI output of the DX-5 (and vice versa). Switch back and the DX-5 has to awaken the HDMI; that is not instantaneous. It makes doing an A/B comparison difficult.

Thanks
well... 48/24bit works fine,, crash only with 96/24 bluray titles such as Chris botti..
only way to solve this problem is changing audio to 48/24 which is audio #2 or 3.
And then, I re-select 96/24 audio track for listening music without crash..
When playing with Classe SSP-800, DX-5 won't sent any signal via HDMI audio only output.. I have to swich 48/24 audio track to get signal from DX-5..

??? I have no problem using the HDMI audio output to the Classe for 24/96 BR or with 88.2 PCM from SACD. Are you using the other HDMI for video at the same time? There could be an effect due to that.

sorry for my bad eng,,,, I made you misunderstand..
I mean remote control on No40's Input.. diffrent input source like PS3 or CD player not the HDMI input 1 and input 2 from back pannel of SSP.

Let me explain,,

I connect DX-5's HDMI audio only out into No.40 HDMI Input 1 and connect analog out to No40's analog in.

I assiged DX-5 analog out as a CD player

Input Source lable 1 : DX-5 (use HDMI audio only )
Input Source lable 2 : DX-5 analog (use analog out from DX-5)

When I swich back Source 2(DX-5 analog) from Source 1, Source lable 1, DX-5's 96/24 digital audio crashs or no sound....
Would you check for me?

There are three places the fault could lie:

a) The player
b) The HDMI cable
c) The SSP

You have already tried at least two SSPs. I would try another cable next to make sure that is not the problem. If the problem still persists, you will need to return the player to the dealer for repair or replacement.

The other way to check it is to use the HDMI A/V Output. This is a completely independent circuit from the HDMI Audio Output. If the HDMI A/V Output works correctly, then you will know that there is a fault with the HDMI Audio Output.

If it turns out that the player is at fault, the HDMI audio-only PCB is very easy to replace. There are only two screws and one cable. That is the most likely source of the problem.

That is exactly what I thought. I have used a similar connection with the SSP and with the Meridian HD621/861. If the HDMI connection is not "live" (selected), the Ayre will output analog. If it is, the Ayre will not put out analog. With the SSP, selecting an analog input, de-activates the Ayre's HDMI output and switching back to HDMI is accompanied by a temporary silence and a delay for handshaking. Switching the Meridian 861 from HDMI to analog results in silence since the HD621 maintains HD621 connection with the Ayre and Ayre's analog outs are muted, unless I also select different HDMI input at the same time.

This behavior suggests to me that your issues may have something to do with how the No. 40 handles such matters.

I did tried not only another SSP but also other DX-5(with different cable)

from the dealer.

the second DX-5 has same problem with No.40 and SSP-800.

I don't think two DX-5 has fault HDMI audio-only PCB.

I assume that handshaking of HDMI audio only out is unstable on high Rez

audio signal(96/24).

I'm going to try the HDMI A/V Output soon

thanks

By all means, GoJoe needs to try feeding the DX5 directly to the SSP, bypassing the 40, if he has not done that already, just to see if the HDMI operates normally in that condition.

Hi Charlie,

Sorry to comment on a older post on this thread, but it was so good I just have to.

DIE 3D DIE

ok I am better now... I don't like 3D - its all about profit and not about adding to the artform of movie making. Dont spend any effort on 3D, spend it on making the player better in other ways.

Man you have really had to put in some work on this thread ! Great tho that you have been right on top of each question and post.

Im sending in a check to match the PO I sent you guys a while back. A bit of a delay as the client remodeled the room. Cant wait to get the DX-5 for the client.

I was wondering what direction you are going to be taking with the DX-5. With Oppo coming out with a new platform will you be using the BDP-93 as a base or looking at other options. Thanks

Charles,

Is there any chance that you will release an Ayre version of the August firmware? I read somewhere that this beta version has been made an official release. The older firmware has problems playing some of the newer Blu-Ray's.

Hello Chris --

According to your signature, "tubes rule" so the next version of the player will be all tubed. This includes the HDMI transmitter, the control microprocessor, and the main video decoder.

Just kidding. But there is one tube in the player already. It's the display, a vacuum fluorescent type. It works just like an old CRT with a heater, a control grid, and a target coated with phosphors. Does that count???

Have fun,
Charlie

PS -- Chris is the evil genius behind the flurry of last-best swan song CRT projectors. Awesome talent.

Normally we like to have a product in our lineup for at least five to ten years. Both Ayre and Oppo were taken by surprise with the speed at which 3D swept the mass-market players (if not the mass market displays or the mass market receivers -- I guess the mass market doesn't realize that you need them all, plus some source material, to have a chance to get dizzy watching 3D).

Oppo wound down the production of the BDP-83 rather abruptly. We were only able to purchase about one year's worth of players. So that gives us a while to decide what to do. I'm not too keen on 3D myself. The other features Oppo added are of questionable value. I suppose that the mass-market customer would rather watch a low-quality streaming video from Netflix than order actual discs in advance (or go down to the corner video store). We are more focused on getting the best picture quality possible from DVDs and BDs.

Since our company is focused on audio, we also need to use a player that supports at least SACD. DVD-Audio would be nice too, but probably has less importance with each passing year. So besides the Oppo, that leaves players from Denon, Marantz, and Sony. (Unfortunately, none of the Pioneer players will do SACD.) We'll just have to see what is the best player available when we start to run low on the Oppos.

If you check the Oppo website:

http://oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-8...3-Support.aspx

you can see that they have not made that an official release. Apparently the beta testing showed that while some problems were fixed, some old problems were re-introduced. Specifically I am told that there can be ticks and pops between tracks when playing back SACDs.

If you don't care about that and want to see if it solves your specific problems, you can download an Ayre version here:

www.ayre.com/Download/AYDX5-53-1102.zip

You will have to either put this on a thumb drive (easiest) or a CD-ROM (more work). If you don't like what the results, you can always revert by either going to:

www.ayre.com/Download/AYDX5-50-0424.zip

or simply connecting the player to the internet and using the On-Screen Setup Menu to select "Firmware Update".

I haven't been a fan either until I saw the Sim2 and Runco demos at Cedia. With these two the left a right eye images were simultaneous and had a much smoother and comfortable result. I also didn't get the cardboard cutout effect.

Right...

"And for a mere $48,000, you can watch all six 3-D titles, including 'It Came From Outer Space' and 'Freddie's Nightmare' with four more blockbuster titles scheduled to be released in 2011!"

Sign me up!

PS -- The glasses make me look really cool, too.

Thanks for putting up the new firmware Charles! The Pacific Blu-ray extras now play fine without freezing the DX-5. I put on an SACD after and there were no ticks between tracks (just a low level one at the start which I think was there before). Just a quick test, but maybe this beta is ready for prime time.

On another note, I downloaded and tried the AyreWave today. Sounds much better than iTunes!

I will be interested in comparing CD to AyreWave to see if Michael Fremer is right, or if computer audio can be made to sound better than CD on the DX-5. I have lots of hours on the player but few on the USB input. Is burn in time for the USB DAC section similar to the transport?

I'm glad the new firmware worked out for you. We've been hesitant to put it up for general release because we have been told that some SACDs will still cause significant problems. But I figure you guys that hang out here are the "big boys" and you won't cry if the beta firmware has bugs. If we get enough reports of no problems on SACD, we will move that to a general release. (The flip side is that you are the first to complain about problems with Blu-ray discs so we haven't had a lot of pressure to release the new firmware.)


To everyone that doesn't know, AyreWave is a Mac-only music player designed for the highest level of sound quality when using a computer on the USB input. The user interface and controls are about as simple as it gets. Just a playlist, a play/pause button, previous/next buttons, and three buttons to add songs to the playlist. You can add songs by highlighting them in iTunes, Finder, and something else I forget and then clicking the appropriate button. It also works with the dinky Apple IR remote, but not any iPhone apps like RowMote.

A free beta version is available at:

http://sbooth.org/AyreWave/

It will expire in a few months. I don't know when or how much the final version will cost.


Almost all of the burn-in occurs in the analog section. So if you have a lot of hours on the player, then it shouldn't really matter if you are sourcing the bits from the optical drive or the USB input. Let us know what you find out!

Have any DX-5 owners been able to play the first disc (Alien) from the new Alien Anthology blu ray box set? My DX-5 loads the disc just to the point before the main menu loads and then hangs with a blank screen, the DX-5 front display shows ------ across the board.

For comparison, my DX-5 serial no. starts with 19C
I'm running firmware version 50-0424
Logic is Rev. D
Audio is Rev. C
HDMI is Rev. Cx

Maybe you just have to wait longer? Lots of stuff being loaded.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...n#post19426119

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...8#post19422678
(and the next two posts)

Thanks Roger, you're quite right, the problem was only a function of my own impatience. I watched both Alien and Aliens this evening which look brilliant on blu!

Wow, what a great forum! I don't even have to answer the questions! (Which is a good thing, as I had no idea as to the answer for that one...)

Glad uppa was able to enjoy the Aliens movies. Those are truly awesome classics!

Actually there is a known issue with the Alien Quadrilogy. The theatrical versions play fine but both director's cut versions start playing only a zoomed-in portion of the upper left part of the picture. It drove me crazy until Oppo told me the workaround. I really hope Oppo puts out a firmware update to deal with this and other issues playing new release Blu-Ray's.

Charles,

Michael Fremer was impressed by the DX-5's DVD-A performance but not as wowed by the SACD sound. SACD on the DX-5 sounds pretty good to me, but I sold my C-5xe some time ago so I couldn't tell if SACD on the DX-5 is as good. How do you find the sound of SACD compares between the two players?