Stereophile: Ayre's QB-9 USB DAC Revealed

Mmmm Ayre... Could be very interesting.

Interesting that Wavelength licensed out the USB asynch technology to Ayre, who is their competitor. Perhaps they figured their markets are different being tube vs. SS?

Interesting that Wavelength licensed out the USB asynch technology to Ayre, who is their competitor. Perhaps they figured their markets are different being tube vs. SS?

I think its a smart move - another source of revenue for wavelength. Happens in business all the time, a company that you are competing with is also a major supplier or customer as well.

Mmmm Ayre... Could be very interesting.

Indeed. Charles Hansen is a regular, and outspoken, participant on Audio Asylum; just did a search there with minimal joy.

Hansen's been hinting at this for a long time (for the past several months) over at AA. Looks cool, and with Ayre behind this, I have high expectations particularly on the technical side. Going to try and secure a local auditioning session when it comes out.

Interesting that Wavelength licensed out the USB asynch technology to Ayre, who is their competitor. Perhaps they figured their markets are different being tube vs. SS?

Charles and Gordon do seem to be quite friendly with each other at a forum they frequent (diyhifi.org).

The guy from wavelength appears to be really helpful to all (not that I will buy his stuff). He seems to be honestly interested in helping anyone get the best out of their computer audio.

Also it's possible that he has a patent on the tech and it was cheaper for him to let Ayre license vs going into patent litigation. Just a guess at best.

I think that was a perfect usage of the term license as it refers to patents. And how that generally works.

No, he's suggesting that licensing is cheaper than going through the litigation process.

No, he's suggesting that licensing is cheaper than going through the litigation process.

Yup. Just ask my wife the intellectual property ligation lawyer.

Cheaper for Ayre, not Wavelength. Clearly, advantageous for Wavelength.

(or that's how I read it)

licensing being cheaper than litigation isn't the question.

"To litigate or to license, that is the question"

with apologies to Will S.

As I read it, it was saying "rather than fight to keep them from using the technology with no recourse, wavelength chose to license the technology to them. This enabled them to protect their intellectual property while saving both the cost of litigation"

As I read it, it was saying "rather than fight to keep them from using the technology with no recourse, wavelength chose to license the technology to them. This enabled them to protect their intellectual property while saving both the cost of litigation"

YAY

And I would like to make clear again that this is a HUGE guess.

Someone's got a case of the Mondays.

hey, i have an idea! let's make a huge guess and tell some financial reporters that Steve Jobs is actually dead.

But then you'd be the one making money, amirite?

The cool thing is this thread is gonna be like number one or two in google when this DAC comes out.

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Edited January 19, 200917 yr by grawk

I just copy + pasted it.

everyone understood what you meant, the point is why even bother guessing, especially when the owners of the two companies are apparently buddy-buddy? hey, i have an idea! let's make a huge guess and tell some financial reporters that Steve Jobs is actually dead.

Really? You understood? I wonder why you responded as you did then.

i don't think "license" means what you think it means.

he seems to suggest that not suing is cheaper than licensing. well yes, since the point of licensing is that the company that holds the patent makes money. there is nothing that suggests that it was the threat of litigation that caused Ayre to license the tech.

etc.

You're hilarious dude.

I'm pretty excited to hear more about this

I wonder what DAC/output stage it will have...

Someone's got a case of the Mondays.

I believe Ayre has retained Wavelength to do their ass-kicking for them, under a licensing agreement.

it's just a huge guess, but i'd say frogs and snails for the DAC and puppy dog tails for the output stage.

Who let the zombies out of your basement

Yup. Just ask my wife the intellectual property ligation lawyer.

I do believe you meant that she was an intellectual property libation lawyer.