Ayre Codex


Did someone have experienced with the Ayre Codex used as a DAC.
I like the QB9 dsd sound, but i used toslink connexion so a Codex could be good for me.
georgelfre

Hi, Marcge:

Was the Codex broken-in?  To me, Codex sounded a lot better than it was after about 200 hours of break-in.  Also, was the comparison done on exactly the same system setup?  Thanks.

Hi,

Yes the Codex was burn, and yes the A/B Test was done on exactly the same setup (Aurender, Macintosh, Sonus Faber / Olympica III) with the same song. 

The Codex is good, but compare to the QB9-DSD it's clear that the Codex is not in the same league.
Guys can codex successfully drive hifiman he1000 headphones? I was leaning towards qb9dsd plus headamp gsx mk2
For my home theater system, my TiVO cable box is connected to my LP OLED 4K HDR TV that uses a toslink connection to my DAC that connects to my Ayre AX-7e integrated amp.

I wish I could use an Ayre DAC but the Ayre QX-5 DAC is too expensive for this application. The Ayre QB-9 DSD DAC has great sound but ONLY has an USB input and no toslink (optical) inputs.  Are there any options to convert optical to UBS for inputting to the Ayre QB-9 DAC?  My guess is probably not.

As stated above, the Ayre Codex DAC ($1,795) is designed as a DAC / head amp for standing on a desk and not a cabinet (my use).  My retailer really likes the Ayre Codex DAC (used as a DAC) so I should probably give it an audition in my system. The Codex has received outstanding reviews.

Any additional comments on the Ayre Codex DAC or other possible DAC's I should look at?