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Ayre Codex - to keep or not to keep

I'm using a balanced headphone and the RCA out to my single-ended amp in DAC mode.  Here is my concern, when I do A/B comparison using headphones in balanced and unbalance modes, there is a night and day difference in the sound quality. In balanced mode, the music is much more resolving at all volumes (especially higher volumes), with better imaging and sound staging across the highs and lows. Initially, I thought the major difference was just the increase in volume but now, I don't believe that's the case. In general, Ayre's equipment really seem to be designed to be used in balanced systems. Can anybody confirm that in DAC mode, the XLR balanced outs sound noticeably better than the unbalanced RCA outs like with the headphone outs?  The Codex still sounds very good via the RCAs but I'm wondering if there are other DACs in the market, in the same price range, that sounds better in a single-ended system.   With that said, I have few different options, one I can move away from a single-end amp design and get an amp with balanced circuitry (would like to get the AX-5 Twenty for it's out of my budget and AX-7e is not powerful enough for my speakers) or I can look into a getting a different DAC that works better in a single-ended system.  Let me know what you guys think. Thx
nycjlee
nycjlee OP
286 posts
 
Purchased the Ayre AX-5 Twenty. The Codex is here to stay. Happy New Year!
cedargrover
302 posts
 
Wow, you did it right!  Congrats!
hgeifman
2,173 posts
 
As you requested, I am keeping my Bricasti M1 SE DAC in my main audio system and keeping the Ayre Codex DAC for my 2-chanel home theatre system.

Last week, at my retailer, I heard the Ayre QX-5 Twenty DAC running direct to a power amp and then an Ayre AX-5 twenty integrated Amp. My retailer highly recommends the use of a pre-amp. Bricasti people believe that going direct to a power amp sounds better. The demo used Wilson speakers ($$$) and I have Sonus Faber Olympica II speakers. To be honest, the Ayre QX-5 Twenty DAC sounds very good but I do not know if it is that much better than my Bricasti. My system sounds excellent. How much better can it sound and do I really need to spend the money?   The Ayre QX-5 Twenty DAC is an excellent choice but I am okay with the Bricasti M1 SE DAC.

I tested my Prism Sound Callia DAC ($2,595) in my main audio system and it was okay but the Bricasti was much better as it should be because of its high price. My Bricasti has bass, warmth and presence that the Callia did not have. Bricasti feels that the removal of a pre-amp makes the sound more natural. We decided to remove the R141 (circuit) from my Hypex NCore NC400 bridged mono blocks, thus lowering gain by 14 dB, requiring 14 dB higher M1 volume setting for same playback level. The sound quality result depends on the equipment used, the listening room and your experiences. And, yes, I know that everyone has a different opinion on this topic because of the many variables.

The Callia DAC was replaced with the Ayre Codex DAC in my 2-channel home theatre system. The Codex is still breaking in so I cannot comment but it sounds very good and getting better. This is an amazing small box that is an outstanding DAC. The Codex DAC sounded very good in my main audio system and I was very impressed. However, the Bricasti had more feeling and should sound better based on its higher price.

Visiting an audio retailer is very dangerous, especially for me, and they like to show off their audio toys. After I heard the Ayre QX-5 Twenty DAC, I returned home and listened to my system. It sounds terrific and I have decided to make no changes. The Ayre Codex DAC is an outstanding piece of equipment and compares very favorable to pieces costing much more.  

So, as was requested above by nycjlee, I highly recommend the Ayre Codex DAC.
rmdnj14's avatar
rmdnj14
14 posts
 
I can't get mine to play audio with Blu Rays.  Any suggestions?
nycjlee OP
286 posts
 
Are using an Oppo player as a transport to play the blu ray? Please tell us more about the components your using the inputs and outputs. 
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