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  #171  
Old 09-17-2018, 01:53 PM
dbphd dbphd is offline
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Tinnitus is internally generated, and more likely perceived absent external sound which tends to mask it.
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  #172  
Old 09-17-2018, 03:59 PM
will will is offline
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Originally Posted by Dr.J View Post
Here's how I understand my circumstances. I'm told that, despite my advanced age, my hearing is still quite good, except for damage at 8000 hz's in my left ear and that this is likely responsible for the tinnitus, the ringing I experience. I have an EC Zana Deux tube headphone amp and especially when paired with my old Mac Mr67 tuner, the resolution is exceptionally high, so much so that the only way I can listen is if I turn the volume way, way down. If I listen to my Denon tuner, via my headphone amp, which doesn't have the same high res, I can listen at higher volume. My theory is that my tinnitus is exacerbated whenever the 8k hz bell is rung and when the resolution is higher, there's more detail, or more sonic information ringing the bell, whereas if the volume is higher, the 8k hz bell is struck, not more often, but with greater intensity. Ok, so I'm using my imagination here, don't actually know how it all works, but my theory fits with my experience.

The issue isn't with Ayre gear, per se, but likely with the increased resolution provided by the Kx5-Twenty, more information knocking around the 8k hz bell. The greater transparency provides more sonic information and the extension, or intensity, is also increased and this could be exacerbating my tinnitus; but, as I explained, I'm just coming out of a nasty head cold and so too soon to tell.

And, indeed, the Kx5-Twenty is opening up quite nicely as its breaking in, just as explained here.

Thank you all!

It's my hope that your ears will make adjustments over time and reduce the intensity of the tinnitus.



Another thing you might want to try is toe out your speakers and lessen the straight-on beaming if that doesn't adversely affect your soundstaging and other things.
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  #173  
Old 09-17-2018, 04:58 PM
Dr.J Dr.J is offline
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Yes, dbphd, the tinnitus is most noticeable in silence, but is also exacerbated by external stimuli, ie, sound/noise - at least this is how I experience it.

Thanks, Will, that’s kind of you - I hope so, too!

I never thought of turning my speakers off axis, will try it.
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  #174  
Old 09-22-2018, 11:55 AM
Dr.J Dr.J is offline
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I am approaching 200 hrs on my Kx5-Twenty and I’m happy to report that it’s opening up, is smoother and, depending on the source material, has gone holographic, even at low volume (am listening without my tinnitus flaring) - Will, all as you suggested -> no regrets!

Anyone interested in a mint Ayre K5xeMP?
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  #175  
Old 09-25-2018, 10:49 AM
will will is offline
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Originally Posted by Dr.J View Post
I am approaching 200 hrs on my Kx5-Twenty and I’m happy to report that it’s opening up, is smoother and, depending on the source material, has gone holographic, even at low volume (am listening without my tinnitus flaring) - Will, all as you suggested -> no regrets!

Anyone interested in a mint Ayre K5xeMP?



It won't stop getting better anytime soon either. This thing needs a lot of hours.
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  #176  
Old 09-25-2018, 09:57 PM
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GregGale GregGale is offline
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Originally Posted by Dr.J View Post
Good morning! Greg Gale began this thread and I’m wondering if after all this time he still feels the same way about his upgrade to the Kx5-20? I’m in the same position, have a k5xeMp and am considering upgrading to the the new 20, but the price of admission is a little high for me, have never paid so much for an audio component. And, I’m posting here because I’d like to hear from anyone that has made the switch, would like to hear how you feel about it!

Thanks,

John
Yes I began this thread based on the fact I owned a K5xeMP and upgraded to the KX5-20. I upgraded based on taking home a dealer loaner that was well broken in which sounded so much more lifelike than K5xeMP.

When I took home the new unit, out of the box I was wondering if I made a mistake as it was not as smooth as the dealer unit or my previous K5xeMP. My dealer assured me that given time (200 plus hours or so) the new unit would sound just as good as his store unit. He was right, and somewhere after the 100 hour mark the unit just opened up and sounded great. So the message to you is be patient and you will be rewarded. The unit definitely needs to break in.

The bottom line I have absolutely no regrets and appreciate the pre-amp more and more each day. After reading the review by Stereophile and JA claiming the KX5-20 is superb engineering, I wholeheartedly agree. This unit has an extremely low noise floor which allows the music to emerge from a black backdrop. I also find it sounds good at low or high volume which is a tribute to the volume control design which is quite unique in the industry.

Enjoy.
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  #177  
Old 09-26-2018, 01:25 AM
dbphd dbphd is offline
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I also find it sounds good at low or high volume which is a tribute to the volume control design which is quite unique in the industry.
I do worry a bit when I hear the clicking as the volume is adjusted that it might be a mechanism that wears out. I hope my concern is unjustified.
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  #178  
Old 09-26-2018, 07:46 AM
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GregGale GregGale is offline
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They have used this type of motor system to drive their volume control for many years and I have not heard of anyone having any issues so this component should be reliable over a long period of time and hopefully for the life of the unit.
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  #179  
Old 10-18-2018, 12:05 PM
Firewire Firewire is offline
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Does anyone know where I can find a thread related to upgrading from the Ayre K-1xe to the Kx-5 Twenty? I have the K-1xe and was thinking about upgrading to the Kx-5 but not sure if this would be a lateral move or significant upgrade?

You should hear the mechanical sounds produced when changing the volume on the K-1xe.
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  #180  
Old 10-19-2018, 05:10 PM
Ryan Berry Ryan Berry is offline
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Originally Posted by dbphd View Post
I do worry a bit when I hear the clicking as the volume is adjusted that it might be a mechanism that wears out. I hope my concern is unjustified.
With anything mechanical, there's certainly a chance for failure. I can say that we've never seen the motor or main assembly fail here, but the wipers that slide across the contacts, which are under pressure and self-cleaning from any oxidation or dirt that accumulates over time, can lose some pressure over the course of years. This almost always manifests itself into a slight popping sound whenever the volume is moved from one position to another, like you'd experience with other preamplifiers that had some DC offset, but they always sound fine when sitting at any one position; so it's only somewhat annoying when you moving the volume around a lot.

That said, we've been fixing them for years and can take care of any that wear out at Ayre. In my experience, the issue doesn't really manifest itself until the unit is around 7-10 years old, though many still haven't shown any issues that are 15-20 years old, so it's a bit of luck and a bit of how much it's used. Cost-wise, replacing the work parts depends on the unit, but our repairs are only priced to cover our costs. We want to make sure you can get back to listening without having to pay some ridiculous repair fee. So they're not invincible, but the benefit that the mechanical VGT control provides vs. the potential to wear out in a decade or more we feel is a worthy trade-off. Hope that helps.
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