KX-R vs 380S

[Wasatch]

I've always wanted to hear some Ayre gear. We had a dealer here in Utah that was a authorized dealer, but never put the gear out for people to see or hear, what ashame. That store does not exist anymore either.

[enatai252]

Originally Posted by uwbadger

Could you compare ref5se vs kxr with mxr's?

The Ref5SE is currently up at my cabin. It was my main preamp in the 2 channel system with a Ref 150 til I put the Ref 40 in. I will try to bring it back to the main house where the Ref 250s and MX-Rs are. I can say that the Ayre excels in transparency and speed..it just gets out of the way of the performance and works well with both its matching MX-R and the Ref 250s. The ARC preamps excel in soundstage...presenting each performer in a space that is separate form the other while pulling the whole event together nicely. The Ayre is likely a little more accurate while the ARC suspends reality and envelopes you into the event. The ARC preamps with the Ref Series amps is some of the most enjoyable listening sessions I have had. If I had to pick just one. I would go with the ARC pre....but I really really like the Ayre as well

[uwbadger]

Originally Posted by enatai252

The Ref5SE is currently up at my cabin. It was my main preamp in the 2 channel system with a Ref 150 til I put the Ref 40 in. I will try to bring it back to the main house where the Ref 250s and MX-Rs are. I can say that the Ayre excels in transparency and speed..it just gets out of the way of the performance and works well with both its matching MX-R and the Ref 250s. The ARC preamps excel in soundstage...presenting each performer in a space that is separate form the other while pulling the whole event together nicely. The Ayre is likely a little more accurate while the ARC suspends reality and envelopes you into the event. The ARC preamps with the Ref Series amps is some of the most enjoyable listening sessions I have had. If I had to pick just one. I would go with the ARC pre....but I really really like the Ayre as well

Which of the two is more "relaxing" to listen to?

I went mxr vs ref150 because of convenience of ss and the mxr synergy with the vandy 5a's

Thx again
Badger

[enatai252]

Originally Posted by uwbadger

Which of the two is more "relaxing" to listen to?

I went mxr vs ref150 because of convenience of ss and the mxr synergy with the vandy 5a's

Thx again
Badger

Both are non-fatiguing. ARC adds just a little more flesh and texture. Ayre is not anemic or sterile...just a tad less air around the performers....but it's speed and transparency makes up for it and provides a very accurate presentation. I would listen to both with the MX-R. I like the tube SS combo. But could be happy with all of the combos

I have both ARC 250 and MX-R in main system. I do not feel I lose much with the MX-R but 250s would be the amp I picked if it could only be one. When comparing SS amps, MX-R is one of the best I listened to

[uwbadger]

Thank you for you opinion. Not many if anyone has both at home! Good problem to have.

Leaning towards a new 5se. Only 2 negatives
1) 40 sec delay when turning on
2) having to wait for tubes to warm up until optimal sound versus just leaving the kxr on or in standby

[uwbadger]

Also

I am going to ask an ignorant question (I did more school / md after high School versus before so I am sure I am not unintelligent)

What does everybody mean by more transparent.

I get speed. I get tonality. I get sound staging. I get non fatiguing. I get syrupy, analytical, and to the cold or warm side of neutral. I get more flesh on the bones, emotional, inviting, sterile, ect .

I don't get transparent. Everbody keeps saying the kxr is very transparent. Could you educate me?

[audiot servant]

Think of looking at something through a window... (see above) in this case looking at the music being played.

If the glass is very clean and without any tinting or dirty smudging then you will see everything fairly much as it is... that is the same in audio transparency... it is clarity without any artifact or veiling.

But if the glass has perhaps the slightest of tints then everything may still be very, very clear and clean with almost just as much detail but it may also add just the slightest tonal shading like warmth or even darkness to the image or a brightness or coolness to the image.

If the glass is a little bit opaque as well as warm tinted then the image may start to lose detail but it may act like a diffuser (the famous Doris Day filter) and things will appear perhaps even prettier than they are but at the loss of some accuracy (insert brand here)

Then there is glass that is just a bit scratchy and may even catch the glare in parts this may be in patches transparent and the scratching may almost appear as extra detail but in truth this is just etchy and is often quite fatiguing to look through...

then there is mid fi... where its so hard to see anything that's actually going on that you lose interest and turn the tv on instead... that is the time to throw yourself through the window

Hope that kind of gets in some measure to the heart of transparency... so often worth moving towards but because more transparent = more revealing so it can often cause the some measure of audio heartache and upgrade along the way... and there can almost always be more transparency available than expected... one of the surprising joys of the pursuit.

For some the marriage of transparency and musicality is the holy grail of the crusade... like looking through a perfectly clean window out at a beautiful island right in the middle of a heavenly lake... ah, yes a few too many words... I should have just said look at the photo above instead and then returned to the music

Graham

Sent from my iPhone using A.Aficionado

[uwbadger]

Thx

Great description

We end up spending a lot of time and money to try to find a clean clear window with a good view!!!