Yes, very hard to find used current Ayre gear.

What power amp did you use before the VX-5 Twenty?

I was using a 150 watt into 8Ω Proceed Amp 2 that I've have for decades. It replaced a 250 watt into 8Ω Parasound A 21 that was too large to fit into the cabinet. The K-5xeMP preamp replaced a Cary Cinema 12 prepro, and that had much more effect on sound quality than the change in amps. I use a Beveridge RM-3 with 100 Hz high- and low-pass cards of fixed filter characteristics -- I use only low-pass to the subs when running the Ayre amp, but both high and low pass when running Cary CAD 572 SE monoblocks. Charles Hanson strongly advised against putting anything between the Ayre preamp and the amp.

db

You can put a Vandersteen low pass filter between his amp and pre with no negative audible difference. I just had mine built into my AX5/20 by Ayre since I didn't have the pre out on the amp.

Be damned the break-in period. I've had my VX-5 set up for two hours and it's already sounding more sophisticated than the V5xe. Playing Mark Knopfler Shangri La, bigger and tighter bottom end, a ringing lumonosity to the highs and mids. Very cool indeed. I'm going to leave the radio playing through it, while I'm at work. Of course, it could just be the possibility that I've now got an amp that is worthy of my Revel Salon II speakers.

This is a very lovely piece of stereo equipment!

BTW if anyone is interested and is living in Canada, I just traded in my minty V5xe and it will no doubt be on sale within the next couple of days. Contact Soundstage Fine Audio in Waterloo, Ontario. (I hope that I'm not breaking any rules in communicating this information)

Biggar, how long did you wait for the KX-5 Twenty?

db

It's the Vx-5 Twenty that I purchased and I waited two months. Put it this way, the machine that I have was made for me. Sounds as though the company has a bit of a backlog- good for them.

I'm waiting for my KX-5 Twenty. I put in my order for it on 4/27, apparently just a couple days apart from Biggar ordering his VX-5 Twenty. That hopefully means I will get my made-to-order preamp soon.

So for the time being, it looks like all three of us are running a VX-5 and K-5xe combo. It's a great combo, and I would keep running it, if not for upgraditis.

I told my dealer that, in about one year, I might be ready to upgrade my preamp. He told me that the greatest improvement would be between the V5xe and the VX-5 and that I'd probably not notice much improvement if I were to invest in a new preamp. I think that, for now, I'll stand still.

I cannot think of a thing that I would do to my system - unless my spouse wins the battle of the speakers. Before I bought them, I took her to see the Revel Salons and she only had good things to say about size, fit and finish. When I bought them and played the first album, she could instantly tell the difference between the Salons and the Paradigm Sig. 8s that they replaced. Now, they are too big and block her view of a piece of artwork. Luckily, any of the alternatives that I'd want (Vandy, Estalon) wouldn't work with our decor so, we're at an impasse and, in this case, an impasse is the best result!