Ayre CX-8, Owner'S Manual

Page 1: ...Ayre CX 8 Owner s Manual CD Player ...

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Page 3: ... In Case Statement o A Place for Ayre 4 Installation 5 Operation 12 Customization 22 Networking 31 Specifications 37 Trouble 38 Warranty 41 Notes 45 Contents Welcome to Setup and Connection and Controls and Statement of Streaming and Numbers and In Case of A Place for Table of ...

Page 4: ...elements from Ayre s most celebrated works into this piece of equipment that can range from a CD player to a full network and USB DAC allowing you to hear music from a variety of sources As always the warmth and immediacy of a live performance are apparent from the first listening that will continue to improve over time during its initial break in period Combining superb resolution and a natural r...

Page 5: ...ont panel buttons A line of site from the listening position will ensure maximum range The Ayre CX 8 provides a stereo pair of XLR balanced output connectors as well as a pair of single ended RCAs When you have a choice a balanced connection will generally offer improved sound quality over a single ended connection Connection and The infrared beam will travel through glass Location Installation It...

Page 6: ...onvenient way to control your audio system There are two AyreLink ports on the rear panel of the CX 8 Each port has four contacts and contain both and input and output Both ports function identically and may be used interchangeably Be sure to use two line telephone cords to make AyreLink connections or the cables provided with your CX 8 These can be identified by the four gold contacts on each con...

Page 7: ...ended to use the AyreLink system with your Ayre equipment whenever possible to take advantage of the ease of use it provides If your CX 8 has the USB Audio option installed a type B USB port is provided to access Ayre s Asynchronous USB technology This will allow your Ayre CX 8 to be connected to a computer or other USB host and operate as a digital to analog converter DAC allowing you to play mus...

Page 8: ...ssly using the included USB Wi Fi adapter and or directly access files from a USB flash drive It is recommended to use a wired Ethernet connection whenever possible for the most reliable connection to your network The Firmware Update port is a USB type A port that allows you to update the CX 8 s firmware using a USB flash drive For more information please see page 28 Ethernet Input Optional Firmwa...

Page 9: ... additional sonic benefits The AC Power connection has a switch located directly below it allowing the power to the CX 8 to be turned on and off Be sure to only plug the CX 8 into an outlet that provides the voltage the CX 8 was designed for Connecting the CX 8 to an incorrect voltage may result in damage to the unit AC Power ...

Page 10: ...10 1 USB Host Ports 2 Ethernet Input 3 Analog outputs 4 Digital outputs 5 AyreLink Ports 6 Firmware Update Port 7 USB Audio Input 8 IEC Power inlet 9 AC Fuse holder 10 On Off Power Switch ...

Page 11: ...11 1 Left hand Button a Sleep Mute 2 IR Receiver Status LED 3 Right hand Button a Input Select 4 Display 5 CD Drawer 6 Control Ring ...

Page 12: ... if equipped with the Ethernet input option The Ayre CX 8 also may be controlled by the included remote control handset All functions for the CX 8 must be done while the remote control is in disc mode for the CX 8 to accept the commands To enter this mode simply press the disc button The button will light up to indicate the new mode is set for the remote control Any button presses on the remote wi...

Page 13: ...ton is pressed the key corresponding to the current selection will illuminate 1 Product Selection Keys 2 System sleep Active Mode 3 Brightness Cycle 4 Mute Toggle 5 Number Keys Input Selection 6 Display Mode 7 Navigation keys a Return b Setup Menu c OK will cycle through available inputs d Up Down Arrows control the volume on AyreLink connected components e Right Left Arrows will move to the Next ...

Page 14: ...he power button on the remote Once in Active mode all functions of the CX 8 are enabled The currently selected input is shown on the display and any signal will be sent to the enabled outputs When available information or meta data from a digital recording being played will be shown on the CX 8 s display A quick press of the left hand control button while the CX 8 is in active mode will mute all o...

Page 15: ...ly the CX 8 to System sleep mode while a long hold of three seconds will switch the CX 8 and any AyreLink connected devices to System sleep mode Input Selection By pressing the right hand control button the currently selected input will cycle to the next enabled input This may also be done using the center OK button on the remote control The input will cycle between the CD transport USB Audio inpu...

Page 16: ... information if a disc was placed in the transport tray After reading the disc successfully the display will then show a stop icon to indicate the disc is currently stopped if the tray was closed with the eject close button the total number of tracks on the disc and the total time of the combined track lengths or it will begin playback on track 1 if the tray was closed using the play button To pla...

Page 17: ...me at the point that it was paused Pressing the stop button on the front panel of the CX 8 or on the remote will stop playback on the CX 8 and return to the disc information screen Pressing play will start playback over from the beginning of the disc The previous track button on the CX 8 or remote control will restart playback from the beginning of the track Pressing the button again within the fi...

Page 18: ...dicated by a circle with an arrow on the display The disc will play as normal and then repeat after reaching the end of the disc The second press will switch to repeat track mode and will be indicated by a 1 in the top center of the repeat circle on the display The disc will repeat the current track after reaching the end of the track Pressing the repeat button a third time will turn off repeat mo...

Page 19: ... played through your stereo system For information about connecting to a music server please refer to the documentation that came with the server For information about connecting to a Windows or Apple PC visit www ayre com usb for the latest information For the most reliable connection it is recommended to use a USB cable with a length of 1 5 meters 5 feet or less To listen to music being sent to ...

Page 20: ...e currently playing song If the display shows No Signal then the Ethernet is not currently receiving any information to play For information on how to connect and use the CX 8 as a network streaming device please see the Streaming and Networking section on page 31 Display By default the CX 8 will turn its display off automatically after 5 seconds of inactivity and the status LED will be blue to in...

Page 21: ...ld provide high quality audio as soon as it is installed in your system due to the manufacturing processes used for wires capacitors and circuit board materials a break in period is necessary for the player to reach its full sonic potential HDCD Indicators If Pacific Microsonics HDCD encoding is detected in the current digital audio data the letters HD CD will appear on the screen to indicate that...

Page 22: ...to the left of the display For ease of use the remote control is typically the easiest method to navigate the setup menu To access the setup menu using the remote control simply press the wrench icon on the remote control at any time You will see Setup Menu followed by the main menu Alternatively you can access the CX 8 s setup menu from the front of the player while it is in System sleep mode by ...

Page 23: ...he current setup screen the cursor will cycle back to the first item To select an item in the control menu press the left hand control button on the CX 8 To navigate back to a previous menu press and hold the left hand control button for three seconds To exit the setup menu press and hold the left hand control button for three seconds for each menu level until Exiting is displayed The menu is orga...

Page 24: ...isplay Network and System The Input menu contains settings related to the inputs of the CX 8 the Output menu contains settings related to the outputs of the CX 8 the Display menu contains settings for the display functions of the CX 8 the Network menu contains settings related to the connectivity and function of the optional network module for the CX 8 and the System menu contains overall settings...

Page 25: ...be changed to several pre set options in the menu or to a custom name of your choice by selecting Custom in the Input Name menu To enter a custom name use the up or down arrows on the remote control to cycle through the available characters and press the OK button on the remote control or the previous track next track keys to change the selected character to the left or right If using the front pa...

Page 26: ...e Analog XLR and RCA outputs of the CX 8 The digital outputs are disabled in this mode Digital only Only outputs digital data through the AES EBU S PDIF and TOSLINK ports The analog outputs are disabled in this mode Analog Digital All outputs are enabled It is recommended to set the outputs to the outputs actively being used in the CX 8 to ensure the best sonic performance Display Menu The display...

Page 27: ...he full potential of the player Network Menu The network menu contains several options for the connectivity and firmware of the optional network module of the CX 8 These options include WiFi Setup Connection Check for Update and Reset For further information on these options and their use please refer to the Streaming and Networking section on page 31 System Menu The system menu contains informati...

Page 28: ...X 8 all firmware updates SYS DSP and NET can be performed automatically over the Internet Whenever the unit enters System sleep mode it will attempt to contact Ayre s servers and check for available updates If any are found you will be prompted to download and install them You may also manually check for updates via the Network setup menu Firmware Updates via USB The system SYS and signal processi...

Page 29: ...ressed folder contains two program files cx8_p hex and cx8_x bin Place these two files into a folder called CX8boot in the root directory of a USB flash drive Please note the folder and program files are case sensitive Both program files should be placed into the USB flash drive at the following directory location Drive CX8boot 3 Turn the power switch on the back panel of the CX 8 to the OFF posit...

Page 30: ...on the back panel of the unit into the ON position The firmware update will commence automatically and the screen will show Installing Update 6 Once the update is complete the unit will start as normal Once in the System sleep state return the unit to operation mode by pressing the left hand button 7 The USB flash drive can be safely removed from the Firmware Update port ...

Page 31: ...hieved with a short hard wired connection to your home network If a wireless connection is required the best performance will be achieved by keeping the distance between your CX 8 and wireless router to a minimum Once connected to your home router with a standard Ethernet cable the CX 8 will automatically connect to your home network and be available for use by any devices connected to the same ne...

Page 32: ...less router 1 Connect the included USB wireless network adapter to one of the two USB Host ports on the rear panel of the CX 8 2 Enter the Setup Menu and navigate to the Network sub menu From here you can select Wi Fi Setup and then WPS Function 3 Once confirmed wait for the CX 8 display to change from WPS Function Initializing to WPS Function Running 4 Press the WPS button on your Wi Fi router to...

Page 33: ...the player screen then select Device Setup 4 Select Ayre CX 8 from the list of available devices You may need to refresh the list 5 Select Wi Fi Network Selection 6 Choose the desired Wi Fi network from the list of available networks You may need to refresh the list 7 Type in your password A notice will appear indicating The device is attempting to connect to the network Press OK 8 After the wirel...

Page 34: ...on the rear panel of the CX 8 2 Enter the Setup Menu and navigate to the Network sub menu From here you can select Wi Fi Setup and then the AP Function 3 Once AP Function has been selected and confirmed wait for the CX 8 display to change from AP Function Initializing to AP Function Running 4 Using your smart device you will need to connect to the Wi Fi network hosted by your CX 8 named CX 8_ The ...

Page 35: ...your Wi Fi network password then select Join this Network A notice will appear indicating The device is attempting to connect to the network Press OK 11 At this point the CX 8 will stop hosting its own network and attempt to join the network you selected If it is successful the CX 8 will display Connection success The CX 8 network module supports a variety of network standards which allows you to ...

Page 36: ... back a large digitally stored music library As shipped from the factory the CX 8 is a Roon Ready Endpoint which will allow you to connect to and control the CX 8 from a Roon control application Generic UPnP Applications A variety of applications across platforms support the DLNA standard which allows them to stream music files to the CX 8 Searching for UPnP control apps in your device s applicati...

Page 37: ... 1 384 kHz DSD as DoP up to 2x 128 DSD Raw up to 4x 256 Network Optional PCM 16 20 24 bits at 44 1 384 kHz DSD up to 2x 128 Pin 1 Ground Pin 2 Non inverting Positive Pin 3 Inverting Negative 60 watts max 100 120V 1 0A slow blow 220 230 240V 0 5A slow blow 17 25 W x 13 00 D x 3 75 H 44 cm x 33 cm x 10 cm 13 pounds 6 kgs Numbers and Specifications ...

Page 38: ...AC line voltage supplied to the unit drops below operable levels for a brief period of time this fault will be displayed Once normal power is restored to the unit a press of the left button will clear the message and the CX 8 will return to System Sleep mode If the fault persists try restarting the CX 8 Update Error If an error is detected during a firmware update process this fault will be displa...

Page 39: ...ng the CX 8 with an Ethernet cable to see if that resolves the problem Visit the Network Info page in the setup menu page 23 and verify that the CX 8 has been assigned an IP address on your home network If both the LAN IP and WLAN IP fields are blank or zeroes there may be a connection issue between the CX 8 and your home network Try reviewing the connection steps page 28 If you are experiencing s...

Page 40: ... Some custom USB cables or cables of excessive length can cause issues with USB connectivity and playback If the CX 8 appears as Unknown USB device or something similar on your computer you may be experiencing a driver related issue For more information about drivers visit the product support page at https www ayre com support USB Connection Issues ...

Page 41: ... Warranty Registration Card and a photocopy of your original purchase receipt in the enclosed postage paid envelope to Ayre within ninety days of product delivery During the warranty period Ayre will repair or at our discretion replace a product found to be faulty All warranty repairs or service must be conducted by an authorized Ayre agent Please contact your Ayre dealer for any service requests ...

Page 42: ...sible for any shipping damage and strongly recommends the purchase of shipping insurance 3 Ayre reserves the right to inspect any product that is the subject of any warranty claim prior to repairing or replacing it Final determination of warranty coverage lies solely with Ayre Out of warranty claims will be billed for labor materials return freight and insurance as required Any product for which a...

Page 43: ...n of the above warranty Ayre shall have no further obligation of any kind whether express or implied Further Ayre shall in no event be obligated for any incidental or consequential damages as a result of any defect or any warranty claim whether express or implied 6 Ayre does not authorize any third party including any dealer or sales representative to assume any liability of Ayre or make any warra...

Page 44: ...4 Warranty terms outside of North America may vary Please contact the authorized Ayre distributor in your country of purchase for the terms of warranty and also the service itself International Warranty ...

Page 45: ...45 Serial Number Purchase Date Dealer Salesperson A Place for Notes ...

Page 46: ...46 Ayre Acoustics Inc Colorado USA www ayre com 1 303 442 7300 ...