Ayon Audio / CD-35 II Reference CD Player and DAC

The Ayon Audio CD-35 II, Ayon’s reference top-loading Compact Disc player and a remarkably complete digital source. The second-generation CD-35 was deliberately optimized around Red Book CD playback, combining a refined StreamUnlimited transport and integral magnetic clamp with a fully symmetrical high-resolution DAC and Ayon’s pure Class A, zero-feedback vacuum-tube analog output stage.

This is not simply a disc transport. Its extensive digital inputs—including S/PDIF, AES/EBU, BNC, USB, I²S, and professional three-BNC DSD—allow the internal DAC and tube output stage to serve additional digital sources. The analog section uses 6H30 and 5687 tubes with GZ30 tube rectification, separate power-supply treatment, and both RCA and XLR outputs. The result is the saturated tone, dimensional presence, natural weight, and musical energy that have made Ayon’s best digital components so highly regarded.

The reviews were exceptional. Bob Grossman of Enjoy the Music wrote that the CD-35 II produced “the best sound out of all the CD players I have used in the past 25 years,” ultimately purchasing the review sample. Wojciech Pacuła of High Fidelity called it “one of the best devices of this type available on the market, regardless of the price,” praising its energetic, clean, saturated, and immersive presentation.

Important format note: the CD-35 II is engineered as a Compact Disc player. It plays Red Book CDs, CD-R/RW discs, and the CD layer of hybrid SACDs; it does not play the high-resolution SACD layer or SACD-only discs. Its DSD specifications refer to the built-in DAC and, when fitted, optional PCM-to-DSD processing—not SACD-disc playback.