@beetlemania, Ayre currently sells the Ayre QX-5 Twenty DAC featuring the new ESS ES9038PRO DAC chip. The New Ayre 8 series DAC/streamer/headphone-amp will be part of the 8 series, as a successor of the Ayre QB-9DSD. I am guessing the Ayre QX-8 DAC will be announced when the EX-8 amplifier is announced. This is just a guess since I have no official information.
BTW, I own the Ayre Codex DAC and like it very much. Please see:
https://www.ayre.com/qx5.htm
BTW, I own the Ayre Codex DAC and like it very much. Please see:
https://www.ayre.com/qx5.htm