Should I update Ayre QB9 dac


After waiting more than a year to have my dac upgraded I've learned that the QB9 is now discontinued. I've owned and enjoyed the dac since it first came out and have had no problems. The upgrade was supposed to be a major improvement and would cost $750. However now that new models are out I'm having second thoughts wondering if the new Dacs have improved technology that would blow the QB9 away.
So has anyone heard the QB9 and the Codex or have an opinion or have an opinion on going ahead with the upgrade?


sophia2

Showing 1 response by nycjlee

I’ve heard both. Although, some say that the QB-9 DSD sounds better, personally I think the Codex sounds as good if not better especially with a few upgrades like the power cable. I own the Codex and I’m very happy with the performance. Like all Ayre components though, they sound the best fully balanced. Is your system single ended or balanced?  If your running a single ended system, I would also consider other DACs .  With the Codex, I noticed that balanced or not balanced makes a significant difference in SQ. Don't get me wrong the RCAs sound great, they don't compare to the balanced outputs.