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Ayre Codex, Lampizator Amber, Schiit Yggy, exaSound e32, and Ayre QX-5, DAC Comparison  -A Short Story


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@MJ-10

 

Hi OP,

 

Thanks for your review, and for sharing your journey into the abyss - one to which we can all relate! 9_9 

 

I agree with @beerandmusic above. DACs have gotten so good, even large outlays of $$ buys very modest incremental gains. My own experience reflects that. I upgraded from a Benchmark DAC1 HDR to an Ayre Codex about a year and a half ago. That was a major improvement, for sure.

 

Since then, I have had the opportunity to audition/review several DACs, some considerably more expensive. One thing I was on the lookout for was that "must have it" feeling - the 

lustful urge that says - price be damned, sell the Codex, and buy this NOW. Honestly, that never happened! Now maybe I am more frugal and have better self-control than others. I doubt it!

 

The DACs that have come through my system are:

  1. The Yggy
  2. Chord DAVE
  3. Ayre QX-5 Twenty
  4. Chord Hugo 2

Yes, the DAVE and the QX-5 sounded considerably better. The QX-5 was the most seductive to me, and came closest to making me take the plunge. But was it 4.5x better than the Codex? Of course not.

 

That roughly $2k price point is a real sweet spot for DACs right now, after which a serious case of diminishing returns sets in.

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