DX-5 Universal Engine

About the DX-5 Universal Engine

The Ayre Acoustics DX-5 Universal A/V Engine is a premium integrated digital source device combining a universal disc player and a high-performance USB DAC. It supports playback of CD, SACD, DVD-Video/Audio, and Blu-ray discs, as well as digital audio files up to 24-bit/192kHz via USB Audio 2.0. The DX-5 features a fully balanced, zero-feedback analog output stage with Ayre's proprietary EquiLock circuit design, utilizing discrete Toshiba JFETs and linear, double-regulated power supplies for superior linearity and low distortion. Digital audio processing includes a Xilinx FPGA with Ayre's proprietary digital filter bypassing the DAC chip's internal filter, and Texas Instruments DSD1792A DAC chips for native PCM and DSD decoding. The device isolates its video, computer audio, and analog audio sections electrically using high-speed optical isolators to reduce interference. It outputs fully balanced analog signals with both XLR and single-ended outputs. The DX-5 also excels in video performance with superb deinterlacing and scaling, and outputs multichannel PCM over HDMI for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Its build quality and sound performance position it as a reference-level universal player and DAC for audiophiles and videophiles alike.