Codex Ayre Manuel utilisateur
Codex
Owner’s Manual
USB DAC + Headphone Amp + Preamp
Table of
Contents
Welcome to Ayre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Overview and Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Connections and Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Controls and Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Numbers and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Statement of Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
A Place for Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Welcome to
Ayre
Ayre was founded in 1993 with a single purpose —
to bring the full beauty of music to your own home.
Our mission is to find ways of capturing the essence
of the music, delivering the same level of
engagement we experience with live music —
compelling and powerful, with a deep emotional
connection to the artist.
This is why our team innovates relentlessly, with
inspired creativity and without compromise. Each
new design pushes the boundaries of knowledge and
allows us to journey more deeply into the heart of
the music. Ayre builds equipment that brings your
music to life.
To our North American customers, please be
sure to mail your warranty registration card and
photocopy of your original sales receipt within 30
days in order to extend the warranty to five
years.
2
Overview and
Introduction
The advanced design of the Codex combines three
distinct musically powerful components into a
single compact unit:
1) A world-class digital-to-analog converter (DAC).
The USB connection accepts any sound file your
computer or music streamer can play. The Codex
uses a high-performance version of the USB
asynchronous transfer mode (Streamlength™) that
delivers audibly improved sound quality over
standard asynchronous USB DACs.
The TosLink optical input is for use with virtually
all A/V sources (disc players, networked audio
devices, cable boxes, satellite dishes, et cetera). An
optical connection totally isolates the audio ground
from that of the connected system, elevating the
performance of both.
2) The headphone amplifiers are capable of driving
virtually any headphone on the market to previously
unheard levels of performance. You will be
astonished at the hidden potential of your current
earphones.
3
In addition to providing receptacles for both ¼" and
twin 3.5 mm connectors for shared listening, the
Codex also supports the latest fully-balanced
headphones. This brings a new dimension to the
sound that will deepen your musical experience.
Many standard headphones can be converted to
balanced operation simply by replacing a
removable cable with a special aftermarket cable.
Contact your headphone manufacturer directly
for information regarding conversion to balanced
operation.
The convenient front-panel volume control operates
purely in the digital domain, yet retains a full 24
bits of resolution (144 dB of dynamic range) all the
way down to an attenuation level of -60 dB. This
breakthrough technology far surpasses the
performance of any conventional volume control.
3) The Codex also functions as the heart of a home
stereo system — a preamplifier — when combined
with amplifiers and loudspeakers. The transition
from stereo system to headphone amplifier is both
seamless and automatic.
This unprecedented level of performance and
flexibility enables all music lovers to enjoy a new
level of musical pleasure.
Avoiding the use of wireless networks (e.g.,
Wi-Fi), by employing wired connections instead,
will reduce RFI levels in your home and result in
improved sound quality for any music system.
4
Connections and
Installation
The Codex is simple and intuitive to connect and
use. The following guidelines will ensure that the
installation goes smoothly.
Inputs
The Codex offers two inputs, the USB input for
connection with a computer or music streamer, and
the optical TosLink input for connection with an
A/V source such as a disc player, cable box, or
satellite receiver.
Both offer electrical isolation from the connected
source. Each is optimized for its intended function.
USB
The USB input connects with computers and music
streamers. The Codex uses the USB “B” type
connector designed for peripheral devices. The
rectangular “A” type connector at the other end of
the cable plugs directly into the host device.
5
The maximum recommended USB cable length is
10 feet (3 meters). Hubs and/or extenders may cause
problems if the transit time for the feedback
pipeline is too great, interfering with the
asynchronous USB transfer protocol.
Computers using Windows must
install the USB audio driver included
on the CD-ROM or downloaded from:
www.ayre.com/usb_driver.htm
6
TosLink
Lower grades of TosLink
cables will have a single
optical fiber. Higher grades
will have a multitude of
small fibers, reducing the
jitter of the transmitted data.
The TosLink input uses an optical cable (not
included). Higher grades of optical cables will yield
improved sound quality. While TosLink is capable
of transmitting up to 30' (10 meters), shorter
lengths will provide a more reliable connection,
especially at higher data rates.
The USB input provides lower levels of jitter, and
is the preferred connection if a source device has
both USB and TosLink outputs.
Analog Outputs
Both front- and rear-panel
outputs may be connected
simultaneously.
The Codex offers both headphone outputs on the
front panel, as well as line-level outputs on the rear
panel for connection to a home stereo system.
Headphone Outputs
The Ayre Codex offers three headphone jacks, two
3.5 mm mini-phone jacks, and one ¼" phone jack.
Only use stereo phone plugs (two or
three insulating rings) with any
headphone jack. Use of mono phone
plugs (one insulating ring) may damage
the unit.
The ¼" headphone jack is
wired in parallel with the
lower 3.5 mm mini-jack.
Each of the 3.5 mm mini-jacks has its own
dedicated buffer. The Codex is designed to either
use a single pair of modern balanced headphones or
two pairs of conventional single-ended headphones.
7
Line-Level Outputs
Plugging standard
(single-ended) headphones into
the front panel will cause the
rear-panel output signals to be
incorrect. See “Controls and
Operation” for details.
The rear of the Codex features both balanced and
single-ended outputs for use with stereo systems
using amplifiers and speakers. Balanced connections
are made via XLR connectors, while single-ended
connections are made via RCA connectors.
When you have a choice, a balanced connection
will offer slightly higher sound quality than a
single-ended connection.
It is not possible to connect the XLR
outputs to conventional single-ended
equipment with RCA input jacks
without damaging the Codex.
Attempts to do so will void the
warranty.
AC Power
The Codex may be plugged directly into an
unswitched wall outlet. Although proprietary RFI
(radio-frequency interference) filtering is built into
the unit, in some situations an AC power-line filter
(such as those offered by Ayre) may provide
additional sonic benefits.
As virtually all computers use switch-mode power
supplies that introduce unwanted RFI on the AC
power line, it may be beneficial to use an AC power
line filter for the computer and its accessories (e.g.,
display monitor), many of which also utilize
switch-mode power supplies.
8
Table des matières
