Ayre K1xe vs First Sound Presence Deluxe Mk II

Kurt_tank are you going to CES this year?

Jwm,

I wish!
I went a few years ago, when I had a bit more disposable income. I went with a fellow audiogon member, and we had a great time. Between listening to all the music, checking out all the equipment, and going to all the great restaurants, it was probably the best time I have ever spent in Las Vegas. (If I could have not lost $300 at blackjack, it definitely would have been the best time.)

Shsohis,

Have you considered using balanced Nordost cables? I use the Quattro Fil cable for my preamp to amp connection, and Valhalla bi-wired speaker cables, and they work great. (When I get some spare cash, I will probably upgrade the Quattro Fil cables to Valhallas.) The Valhallas are definitely some of the most transparent cables I or my friend have ever tried. I did try some Jena Labs Pathfinder cables, but unfortunately, they had just a hint of darkness to them. and combined with the hint of darkness that the Lamm M2.1s have, produced a clearly audible dark sound. (But, the Pathfinders were wonderful in the mid-range. My friend uses these cables, and they sound great with his Lamm M2.2 amps.)

And I absolutely agree with you that the phono stage in the Ayre K-1xe is an incredible bargain. Sonically it is very close to your Pass Xono, and almost, but not quite up to the sonics of the ASR Basis Exclusive phono stage. (And all for just a fraction of the price of either of them.)

Good Luck with the next phase of your trial.
(And of course keep us updated on your results. This has been very illuminating so far! Thanks for doing this!)

Thanks Shsohis,

I appreciate the feedback. I was actually wondering if you had something like the Ayre QB-9 into your FS or Ayre Preamp. I keep wondering if direct to amp, or inserting a preamp provides for a better sound. I guess I'll just have to try and find out.

Thanks.

Chjo100,

Well, I home-trial the QB-9 at my friend's place - using his VTL/Krell combo. Of course, the setup was not optimised but I thought the QB-9 experience was something like a revelation.

Kurt_tank,

I'm not a big fan of the Nordost cables - I feel that the cables sound hifi-ish. But the Thor which I'm using now is brilliant. Anyway, I'm expecting my Kimber KS1130 early Jan 2010. Then the next test will begin. If the balanced mode should yield a quieter and more transparent presentation, then it's bye bye to the FS... or maybe I will still keep it.

I vow to drop by CES in 2011 for sure. Hope to catch up with you folks if the opportunity arises.