Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Ejr1953 - great post to start on a new thread. 

Totally not what this thread is about though. 

Guys, I"ve had the Yggy in my system on two occasions.  One for was about 5 days.  I had a Codex in the house and did my own listening.  I then invited a few friends over to hear both units.  The Codex won every time.  The people listening weren't really audiophiles, just music lovers an one was a pro musician.  They never asked which piece was which, ,but it also wasn't a scientific test.  

The Codex threw a wider stage, went deeper in the bass and has much more detail.  The pace and rhythm was there in spades.  There was a male vocal (forget who) that had a reverberation in that lower mid that sounded right on the Codex.  The Yiggy was close, but it didn't give the same emotion that the Codex did.

I can see why Schitt has a following. Great products for reasonable cost.  I spoke to two owners of the units who post on Computer Audiophile I believe it is and they both had posts about the Yiggy besting the Codex etc...  I PM"d them and spoke to both.  Neither had ever heard the Codex let alone had one in their system.  I found that strange.  When I talk about a product it may have been hearing it once in a shop or someone else's system and me not liking what I hear right up front.  Could be many reasons, but I'm not the type to get excited about the TV on the floor at Best Buy that's the brightest of the bunch and stands out because of it.  

If you feel the Yiggy is better than the top DAC's Matt has had in his system, then that's awesome.  My post wasn't meant as a mean spirited comment to you, but I did dismiss it based on my own listening (The Codex isn't in the same league as the QX5/20 so I made an assumption that the Yiggy can't hold a candle to the QX5/20).  The QX5/20 isn't quite as good as some of the DAC's in the 18 and above, but better than a few I"ve heard.

If you want to get Matt  Yiggy to go up against the others, I'm sure he'll plug it into his system for a day.  If we can set that up for the day I get to visit with my Ayre piece then that would be great too.  Maybe I'll hear differently in Matt's room (can't wait to get there Matt).

Interesting.  I tested the Ayre Codex v. Schiit Yggdrasil.  The first time it seemed like the Yggy had more bass and the Ayre had more liquid mids.  On the second occassion, we held everything constant and volume-matched, and neither I nor my friend could distinguish the two.  

Are you sure that you volume-matched?

Yup, but again, this thread is about the best DAC's and the Codex and Yiggy aren't in that discussion as Matt's thrown out before.  last note and I'll join a new thread if you start it, those DAC's sound pretty different to most folks who have heard both. I'm surprised that you didn't hear a difference the second time.  

For anyone who reads my thoughts on sound, I like a coherent sound (this is why I love and own Vandersteen's (now the Quatro's) that has no smearing and is full range.  I must have a realistic sound stage and imaging.  Tonality, time and pace of the music are also paramount.  For some reason, I can't listen to a system that is too hot on top.  That doesn't mean not extended, it means not distorted.  

Yes, Vandersteen's to me are the best speaker I've heard, but IRT electronics, as much as I love Ayre and own Ayre, I also like a lot of other gear.  I have recently owned Steven Nuggent's DAC and found it to be outstanding.  As dynamic as you could get at the time and very extended.  Never etched though.  It wasn't nearly as liquid in the mids though and I like the Ayre much better because of it.  

Hopefully that explains my posts and why I don't like many of the very expensive DAC;s on the market (I do love plenty of them though, lol).

Matt and I speak on a fairly regular basis and yes I'm planing on getting down there in the near future.  We like a lot of the same sound, but like all of us, hear a bit differently.  It will be interesting to hear what he finally has put in place.  

I know that a few companies will be coming back to the US market within the next year and they will bring very high end DAC's in and I can't wait to hear them also.  This thread should be going for a long long time, lol. 

Your getting into a real snake pit
  At 10k.  Buy the first one ya see
It will do something real good 

What?