2. amps-preamps
  3. 1103398518

Audiogon rocks with.......

Met a member last night and he came over today with his Ayre V5x amp,a beauty.We put in my system,Merlin VSM-MM,Counterpoint preamp,MSB dac modded by Modwright,Panasonic DVD,modded by EVS and Cardas wires.It was very transparent,dynamic,you could see deep into the music,just a little too much,but not alot,of glare,I think we thought,compared to my modded Counterpoint amp.I am lacking clean AC and my room is not acoustically together,but it was alot of fun and very interesting for both of us.I would like to buy the amp,but something needs to be done to make it a perfect match for my system.We both thought tubes could be good,and I forgot to add the speakers have just 90-100 hours on them,so not yet broke-in.It was a rare pleasure to met a local audiophile and friend.Cant wait till our next demo,thanks Art....Bob
usblues

Showing 2 responses by driver

driver's avatar
driver
750 posts
 
I had the V-5x for 2 yrs. & only sold it to get the V-1x. I have an all SS system & didn't have any problems with glare & if you have some reflective surfaces that might add to the mix. Spkr. placement might need to be addressed too.

Also I would take a look at your outlets & PC's, as sometimes they can have an even greater influence than the other cables. Personally I find anything other than copper to be on the bright side & although it might not be immediately noticeable in some cases, it usually rears its ugly head in the form of listener fatigue.

Another thought is how you used the connections? I always used the balanced feature as it was designed to be used this way. Don't know if that would affect the glare, just throwing it out.
driver's avatar
driver
750 posts
 
Yep, that's what I sold mine for.

I forgot about the spkr break-in when I was writing & if they need more hrs. they could get a bit hard sounding when you push them. I broke my VR4GenIII's in with a V-3 so by the time I put the 5x in the system they had about 6 mo. on them.

Also before I sold the 5x I had a chance to horizontally bi-amp with the 5x on top & 1x on the bottom so I know it can deliver a very sweet mid-range.

In case you like to play loud it was very easy to get 100 dB at the listening spot but I didn't want to push it past 105, as I felt it was nearing it's ability to stay cohesive. With the bi-amp configuration there seemed to be unlimited headroom & at 105 it was amazing.

Conversely, there were many nights (wee hrs. of the morning) I'd play at the lowest possible setting & although there wasn't much bass presence it was a very enjoyable presentation.

I hope it works out for you.
More to discover