VX-5 release date?

[guitardave]

I got mine last week. Anyone else have one yet? Very interesting amp. Really unlike any amp I have heard. I am really more of a tube guy overall, but I am enjoying the heck out of this thing! It has a very natural sound for solid state, with dynamics that really serve music well. It is full of musical nuances, which again is more of a tube area for me. It is the kind of amp that makes you listen to the entire album of whatever you put on, and that is a very good thing.

[uwbadger]

How does it compare to your AR ref gear ?

Which is warmer sounding with digital sources?

ayre dx-5, kxr, mxr, Vandersteen 5A, marantz 8801, Vandersteen vcc-5, Vandersteen vsm sig

[kfr01]

Originally Posted by guitardave

I got mine last week. Anyone else have one yet? Very interesting amp. Really unlike any amp I have heard. I am really more of a tube guy overall, but I am enjoying the heck out of this thing! It has a very natural sound for solid state, with dynamics that really serve music well. It is full of musical nuances, which again is more of a tube area for me. It is the kind of amp that makes you listen to the entire album of whatever you put on, and that is a very good thing.

Guitardave:

I am also interested in hearing more of your impressions, particularly relative to your Ref 150.

What type of music do you like?

Any pictures to share with us?

Cheers

[BillK]

I'd be curious to know how bass sounds, as some reviewers have complained of a "lack of bass heft" with the MX-R/VX-R, as often times a lower powered amp may actually sound sweeter as the power supply is less taxed.

[guitardave]

I would not call either the Ayre or the ARC gear "warm". They are both transparent, and have a realistic tonal balance. At this point, with maybe 150 hours on it, it is sneaking up on the Ref150, but it is not there yet. Whether it ever will be is unknown. I think it will continue to get better. Ayre says it needs perhaps 500 hours break-in, and I believe them. I can already state that it is a really fine amp, and a keeper long term. It has the essentials for me, musical involvement, lots of nuance, lots of detail, and is very transparent. I still find it completely satisfying to listen to, and it still keeps me up late at night.
I find the bass to be correct. There is no lack of deep bass at all.
I would say that the Ayre does not make me think any less of the Ref150. Quite the opposite. Both of these amps are fantastic, and I enjoy very much owning both for their subtle differences. The Ref is a touch more transparent, the Ayre a touch more "musical". All this is a bit of a surprise to me, because my experience with Ayre previously was a short stint with an AX-7e and a brief period with one of their power amps. I found them both fine, but not exceptional compared to other gear I owned. The VX-5 is different. It is so enjoyable to listen to (with my Ref5se) that I feel slighted and put out if I don't get to spend some time with it every day.
I ordered the amp after hearing the new AX-5 at my dealer. It just sounded to good it made me giggle. It was a little weird, but it happened. It just sounded that good. And this was after listening to some really top level esoteric tube gear, so the bar was set pretty high! That amp just stayed in my mind until I received my VX-5.

[Manbient]

I may as well chime in here too. I own a VX-5 as well (paired with Dyn C1s, Aesthetix Calypso pre, nordost tyr throughout, and a QB-9 DAC) and as soon as I put it in I was pretty thrilled with the sound. I've bounced around from Ayre (entire 'old' 5 series) to Simaudio (I7/Supernova) and back (Ayre AX-7e... for sale by the way hah), and on this particular change the bass heft came back in full force. I probably don't have the experience with as many different brands as many here, but from the things I've had in my system this amp is the most exciting, detailed, and controlled.

My next thing is sorting out my power. I have been using an Isotek Sigmas for about 5 years now, and was told by my dealer (and a few others) to plug my amps straight into the wall instead. It's true, I do think the Isotek sucks a bit of zip out of it, but there are other things I like about having it plugged in too (seems to settle the background, polish everything up). I've been pretty keen to try out Shunyata's Triton (or cyclops?) and see what happens there... maybe it would still be best plugged direct to the wall. Power cables... hmm, I had some Nordost Vishnu some time ago and didn't feel they made much of a difference. Right now using stock (?!?!) but want to try out some zitron shunyatas or newer higher end Nordost. I am a fan of sticking to one manufacturer, as boring as that is, since I know the synergy will be there.... for example I plan to go all-Ayre again once they release the new KX-5 they're working on and I want my cables all Nordost or all Shunyata or all... whatever hah.

Anyway I'm rambling. The VX-5 is an absolutely mighty amp and right now I am enjoying it immensely. It is in no way 'soft' and I do think they have beefed up the low end weight a bit from past products.

[guitardave]

Glad to hear from another VX-5 owner! I have always had pretty good luck plugging into my Audio Magic Stealth, with no reduction in dynamics on most gear. But my VX-5 is definitely better straight into the wall. I really think this amp is gonna be BIG for Ayre. Honestly, I wonder if it is too cheap for the sound quality it provides.

[jfrech]

Originally Posted by guitardave

Glad to hear from another VX-5 owner! I have always had pretty good luck plugging into my Audio Magic Stealth, with no reduction in dynamics on most gear. But my VX-5 is definitely better straight into the wall. I really think this amp is gonna be BIG for Ayre. Honestly, I wonder if it is too cheap for the sound quality it provides.

Hi, I own MX-R's ...and they definitely took 500 hours to settle down...with that last little bit kinda being the magic about them...I suspect your VX-5 may follow a similar path...let us know as you get more hours please.

I do think the new output stage is special...who knows if they'll make a new MX-R from this same circuit.

I was a tube amp guy to ... for 25 years...the Ayre MX-Rs I've very much enjoyed the 5 years I've owned em...not a single complaint...

[Manbient]

Originally Posted by jfrech

Hi, I own MX-R's ...and they definitely took 500 hours to settle down...with that last little bit kinda being the magic about them...I suspect your VX-5 may follow a similar path...let us know as you get more hours please.

I do think the new output stage is special...who knows if they'll make a new MX-R from this same circuit.

I was a tube amp guy to ... for 25 years...the Ayre MX-Rs I've very much enjoyed the 5 years I've owned em...not a single complaint...

I don't want to start rumors, but I recall reading somewhere that there may be an upgrade to the MX-R's which involves the diamond output stage. MX-R is already so fantastic though (my dad has a pair) I don't really know how much of an improvement they could make to it.

[BillK]

What's interesting is the substantially higher power draw of the VX-5; am I right in inferring this is likely due to the Diamond output topology?

Power consumption at idle (operating with no signal):

MX-R: 120w each (so 240w stereo)
VX-R: 200w
AX-5: 230w
VX-5: 325w