I wouldn't take the Codex off your list just yet, until you had chance to listen to it. I recently finished burning in my Ayre Codex DAC and after 500 hours, the music the DAC produces is exceptional. I agree that the number and types of inputs are not ideal, the sound this device can produce is unbelievable. Well worth it for me to work inside it's input limits. I've heard many DAC ranging from $300 to $10000 and Arye has made something special with this model. Honestly, I get more impressed everyday. Personally I think it sounds better than the Ayre QB-9 DSD. Someone told me to wait until it gets to 700 hours and the DAC will sound even better....I can't wait. I would definitely recommend that you go and hear a demo before deciding. If possible, go and listen to a bunch of different DACs before buying one and bring a CD you know intimately; one where you can notice the differences in the sound. Good luck!
Need Balanced DAC with optical and coaxial inputs for 2 channel home theater system
For my 2 channel home
theater system (only), I am considering replacing my Musical Fidelity M1 DAC A with a better sounding DAC. My needed inputs are one cable box using optical
and one Sony Blu-ray player using coaxial. I need balanced outputs (XLR)
to connect the DAC to my Ayre AX-7e integrated amplifier.
The Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 ($1,500) and the Parasound Zdac DAC ($2,500) are on my review list. Any comments on these
units? Or, what other DAC's should I add to my list? Considering my two input sources, will I really get better sound if I replace the Musical Fidelity M1 A DAC?
The sound quality using the Musical Fidelity M1 DAC is much better than than using the cable box RCA outputs direct to the Ayre AX-7e amp (my system is wired using both options using the source switch on the M1 DAC).
Since the Parasound Zdac v.2
DAC is priced at $2,500 that is my top budget but I really prefer to keep the cost
under $2,000. Your comments and suggestions are appreciated.