Positive experience with Ayre


I upgraded from my Ayre QB-9 to an Ayre Codex, which allows me to also stream music from my Oppo CDP through the DAC.  I had a somewhat loose Toslink connection on the Codex which I mentioned to Gary, Ayre's rep when I visited with him at Axpona.  He told me to send it back for an examination.  Ayre replaced the loose connector and put the unit on the bench for a day or so to make sure everything was functioning properly.  

All is well with the returned DAC with a secure fitting for my Toslink cable.  I am over the top happy with Ayre's customer service, as well as their outstanding products.  The Codex was a clear step up from my QB-9 with the advantage of additional connectivity.  And the Codex is nearly $1000 less costly than that of my original QB-9.  At its current price of $1800, if I recall correctly, it is a tremendous value in the world of high-end DAC's, easily a contender to the fine Schiit Yggy. 

Ayre is a first-class audio company and I really enjoy their Codex in my system.     


whitestix
Another positive experience with Ayre.

My new AX5 Twenty developed a minor fault, and needs one of the boards replaced. I am not in the US, but Ayre responded to my query overnight, organised the replacement board and contacted my local distributor directly, who then contacted me to arrange a pick up of the unit, all within the space of 24 hours.

It also helps that the AX5 Twenty is the best sounding amp I have owned in 30 years of this hobby. 






Chesebert,
A "shill" for Ayre?  I only wanted to bring to other audiophiles' attention the excellent customer care I received from Ayre.  We evidently both think the Codex is a great DAC... I simply took the time to share my impressions with potentially interested parties.   I think my OP generated a lot of love for Ayre and I am happy about that.  
The left channel in my 10+ year old Ayre Acoustics AX-7e integrated amp stopped working.  My retailer and I confirmed the left channel was out (there was no sound) and shipped it to Ayre for repair.  

The repaired Ayre amp was returned 2 months later and they also adjusted the amp’s bias and the DC offset.  I reinstalled the amp and it sounds terrific.  In addition, in case you are wondering, Ayre did not charge me for these repairs.  This was very impressive customer service.  
Just bought a used Codex to use with my A7e and KEF LS50s.  I've been using the USB port of my DX-5 DSD, but I'm rearranging things.  I use a QX-5 Twenty with KX-5/VX-5 Twenties and KEF Ref 1s in another setup.  Gary has been very helpful advising me about adding a fully balanced passive Marchand high-pass between the KX-5 and VX-5 and the phono stage of an Audible Illusions tube Modulus 3A tube preamp.
The OP reads like an ad shilling for Ayre. However, I agree with OPs observations having been an Ayre customer for over 10 years, with Codex being my latest purchase from Ayre.

Another +vote for Gary and crew at AYRE. I recently had the drive/transport replaced in my DX-5 universal player. Now, all of my discs spin issue-free. This is my first encounter with these guys.

I am looking forward to the next purchase within the Twenty Series of gear.  Happy Listening!

I would love to hear the QX-5 Twenty in my system.   Maybe in few years I can find a good deal on a used one. As a pensioner, the Codex fit my budget very well and sounds outstanding.  Thanks for chiming in.  
Wait until you get the QX-5 Twenty. If you like Codex, you will be blown away by the QX-5!

And Gary @ Ayre is a class act guy!
I have also had wonderful experiences with Gary, Mike, and Adrien of Ayre. They are a pleasure to deal with.