[will]

In the past couple of days my KX-5 Twenty/VX-5 Twenty combo took steps forward. I've lost track of the hours I've put into the combo, but time wise I've owned the pair for about 8 months.

What I can describe in words is the information from my discs is now jumping out of my Dynaudio Confidence C1 monitors from a pitch-black background. I mean, there is nothingness when the system is at idle. I can't hear anything. No hiss. No 60 Hz power hum. Zilch. I put my ear right next to the woofers and tweeters of my monitors, and there is nothing coming from them. It's actually disconcerting, as I'm not used to it and think that the system is not functioning. I feel this is a testament to Charley Hansen's implementations of noise-suppressing circuits, AyreLock power supply, AyreConditioner power-line filtering, as well as the S/N benefits from the Double Diamond output and Variable Gain Transconductance.

I've never experienced such pitch-blackness with my system before. I want to add that I do not use any power conditioners or filters. My system is plugged into a $100 Tripp Lite Ibar 12 Ultra surge suppressor (using the four white outlets that have added noise filtration), and my power in Southwest DC is supplied by Pepco (not clean, I reckon). My three power cords are old VH Audio Flavor 1 and 4 cords.

As a result, my music just leaps out because of the combo's transparency. This is immediately apparent when I changed the digital filter setting on my C-5xeMP from Listen to Measure for greater high-frequency energy. The presentation went from a PRaT, front-to-back presentation to a wider and more ethereal presentation. The center image, anchored by a singer or a soloist--whatever--became more recessed, but on the other hand it is holographic and even more surrounding details and stuff that was happening in the background (chorus singing, even mumbling) were revealed. It's difficult to describe, but I have an overall mellower and ethereal presentation that reveals the recorded ambience and space of the performance yet specific things are etch-like with significant air around them. Also, the amplifier is exerting bass control over my Dyns with an iron hand.

And the overall system transparency and greater high-frequency response with the Ayre disc player set at the Measure position are giving cymbal taps a very alluring sweetness. Timbre definitely shifted a little "hotter" so older recordings have a ruthlessness.

There is no right or wrong setting, just different. I am currently captivated by the treble sparkle and clarity and more detailed presentation overall. But there's a possibility I could go back to the Listen setting after a while and regain a sense of immediacy and PRaT.

Another non-related observation is that my system, each time I plop down on my listening char, requires some play-in to get going. This happens even with the system already powered on, not from standby.