[cygnusx]

Btw, there is another Codex for sell on audiogon.com. You probably can negotiate the price down a bit. You should be able hear a difference with any decent cable balanced. The pono balanced out is a must. Good luck!

 

[latestyle]

Btw, there is another Codex for sell on audiogon.com. You probably can negotiate the price down a bit. You should be able hear a difference with any decent cable balanced. The pono balanced out is a must. Good luck!

Thanks! I made an offer to the seller, props to you for looking out for me!

 

[omchompchomp]

I have the Sony/kimber cable from Amazon Japan which has the best price. Yes they will ship to the US.
https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/aw/d/B00NW35HYQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487623708&sr=8-2-fkmr1&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=Sony+balanced+cable+z7

Codex cognoscenti - any recommendations on balanced headphone cable solution to use the Codex with Sony Z1R? I'm going to try using this combo at my office, where I spend a vast (too vast) amount of time. Thanks!

 

[latestyle]

I have the Sony/kimber cable from Amazon Japan which has the best price. Yes they will ship to the US.
https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/aw/d/B00NW35HYQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487623708&sr=8-2-fkmr1&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=Sony+balanced+cable+z7

Thanks! So Z7 cables work on Z1R?

 

[omchompchomp]

Yes. I also have the z1r and the screw on 3.5mm are the same. It sounds very detailed yet musical and bassy out of the Codex .

Thanks! So Z7 cables work on Z1R?

 

[latestyle]

Yes. I also have the z1r and the screw on 3.5mm are the same. It sounds very detailed yet musical and bassy out of the Codex .

Nice, will be getting the cables, thx for the recommendation!

 

[omchompchomp]

Nice, will be getting the cables, thx for the recommendation!

I forgot one problem till I just looked at my system. The recess Codex plug doesn't allow the Sony cable to connect all the way in so I had to get a right angle adapter. So if this bothers you get another cable with smaller barrel. Wish Ayre didn't have those recessed plugs.

 

[latestyle]

I forgot one problem till I just looked at my system. The recess Codex plug doesn't allow the Sony cable to connect all the way in so I had to get a right angle adapter. So if this bothers you get another cable with smaller barrel. Wish Ayre didn't have those recessed plugs.

Oh, man, how annoying! Any particular right angle adapter or any one of them will do?

 

[omchompchomp]

Any 3.5mm to 3.5mm will do. Yeah, I was bummed but I also use it with the Pono and the cable was a great price with the exchange rate so I'm OK with it.

 

[music_man]

some high end mini phono have like a raised metal part in front of the shell. so it will fit these with a recess. that way you can use a good one. i think oyaide(sp?) makes some. don't know if you want to spend that. i don't use headphones anymore much. never tried the codex or ax-5 twenty phones. luckily almost any balanced will fit in the back. maybe you can use the back with full size xlr? i think it is the same sound. don't know. anyways odin 2 is rather small. on the other hand the anaconda vx power pulls it off the table lol. nice their iec jack is tight. their toslink is a little loose which kind of sucks.

 

[latestyle]

Joined the Codex family, currently burning in with Z1Rs in the office.

 

[music_man]

congrats latestyle. i doubt you will be dissapointed. this is the only 2 grand-ish dac i would buy right now.
 
what upsets me among other things with ayre is the codex and ax-5 twenty can both do 4x dsd but they have them locked to 2x. i do not expect them to ever offer firmware. for updates,support and press information ayre sucks. they build one heck of a product though. all of their components compete with components costing thousands more. so i can forgive them for their lack of communication.
 
latestyle, you may want to feed that with a good hub, filter and lps plus good xlr cables. that will bring it from very good to true reference class. if i did that(which i have) and i worked for stereophile, under those circumstances i would rate it a+. they have not rated it afaik but other publications rated it a, just stock.
 
i am thinking now to put in a 9038 pro. it is pin compatible i bet it does not make much difference though. the sound of a dac is really everything but the chip. in that regard ayre got it right..

 

[latestyle]

  ...
 
what upsets me among other things with ayre is the codex and ax-5 twenty can both do 4x dsd but they have them locked to 2x...
 
latestyle, you may want to feed that with a good hub, filter and lps plus good xlr cables. that will bring it from very good to true reference class. if i did that(which i have) and i worked for stereophile, under those circumstances i would rate it a+. they have not rated it afaik but other publications rated it a, just stock.
 
i am thinking now to put in a 9038 pro. it is pin compatible i bet it does not make much difference though. the sound of a dac is really everything but the chip. in that regard ayre got it right..

Thanks, music_man! I've been just burning in 24/7 but already it has this bloom to certain recordings that I find very attractive for the types of music I listen to.
 
I don't have much DSD, mostly redbook and hi-rez PCMs from Linn Records, so not having 4x DSD is no deal killer for me.
 
A couple questions - you recommend a good hub/filter/lps/XLR cables - can you explain and also recommend me your personal choices? I'm just connecting my work PC/laptop to Codex via Wireworld Starlight Platinum 7 USBs, then out to my Z1R cans (currently thinking of rewiring balanced by Wireworld, to keep things synergistic). Shall I add Regen to the mix? Also don't understand how XLR cable fits into this chain. Plus I thought Codex already has linear power supply built in, but does an outboard LPS make it better? Please let me know if you ever do swap in 9038 Pro and see if there's discernible difference. But I have a good feeling about this DAC/amp as it is; will take it home once it's broken in to compare vs. Yggy.
 
Apologies for a ton of questions! =D

 

[music_man]

xlr is for using it with an amplifier. the problem is putting noise into the xmos usb receiver. the lps is for something like the regen, not the codex. you want to get clean usb data and power into it. if you search you will find all kinds of things i have written about this. you do not have to get the regen or rur. there are hubs that are very similar for a fraction of the price. add a lps to the hub and you are set. it is the lps that is important. otherwise you can inject the lps directly into the codex with something like aqvox but that does not address the data. an aq jitterbug plus a good hub with a lps will clean and reclock the signal. all hub chips replicate the data but some are more accurate than others. i mean in their timing, phase etc. that is for audio. for a printer or webcam it makes no difference. i would certainly get the cans wired balanced. it makes a huge difference.

 

[music_man]

tbh, a couple days ago i slid in dave on his side without his rack feet. i used stillpoints under him. i am using an aurender. that was the biggest thing i could fit here afaik and i had to stupid put it in on his side so i cannot see his display. anyways the big point here is he is a much different sound than the codex but i would not say he is outright better! now we are talking about like a 15 grand dac that the codex can can compete with! some will say well chord is not good. this is really all a matter of what sound you like. as i said the chip or fpga has very little to do with a dac's sound. so you can just say i like the codex better. not everyone would feel the same of course. ymmv. meanwhile i am not sure i will unplug it all right now. i am severely disabled, why i type no caps and it took me 2 hours to fit in the xlr's and usb. please don't feel bad though. i am just saying even though i would rather the codex back in not looking forward to it. it is very strange to think someone was unable to put a plug in a socket. even to me and i am living with it. anyways the only thing i clearly like better is the loaded select dac with mono power bases. either you guy's think i am nuts or deaf too i bet lol. no, really i just love that ayre sound. i have the qx-5 twenty but hardly use it because i would rather use a separate music server and dac. the ax-5 twenty imparts a lovely sound. i just like ayre like i like grado. matter of preference.  sometimes regardless of preference you can say something is clearly better but, no the codex seems to take all comers. to me at least. well, latestyle i think you made a good choice lol.