Ayre AX-7e vs. Belles Reference 150A


Not exactly apples to oranges since it's integrated vs. separates, but I am currently using a Belles Ref150A V2 with Placette Passive Linestage fed by Havana DAC into Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors. Overall I like the sound very much and could live with this for a very long time, but it would be nice to consolidate to an integrated and also save a bit of cash. Would this be an upgrade, downgrade, or lateral, but different move?

There is so much about the Belles that I like -- the natural timbre, dynamics and decay, huge, open sound and soundstage, bass extension -- and I want to see if there something else that plays to the same strengths even more. I prefer things on the warmer side as you can probably tell by my choice of gear.
eugene81

Showing 1 response by hgeifman

I own two Ayre AX-7e amps and like them very much because of their excellent sound quality. I have one Ayre amplifier driving my Sonus Faber Auditor M Speakers in my living room (main system) and another one driving my Quad 12L speakers in my family room (2nd system for TV listening only). My living room music source is the Ayre CX-7eMP CD Player running balanced cables (XLR) to the Ayre amp.

The Ayre AX-7e Integrated amp sounds much better running with balanced inputs and not RCA inputs. Many reviewers have said this. If your source does not have balanced outputs to your amplifier, maybe you should look at a source that has balanced outputs (XLR Connections).

The Ayre AX-7e is a basic two channel integrated amplifier without many bells and whistles. It is a great sounding amplifier that works with many different speakers. It includes a remote control and has a small footprint. It outputs 60 wpc for 8 ohms and 120 wpc for 4 ohms.

I suggest you borrow a unit and see how it sounds with your speakers in your listening room.