Ayre V-3 upgrade

The ugrades involve improving the power supply, lowering the gain by 3 db, extending the upper limit of treble. You WILL lose the warmth of the amp, but you will gain transparency. The upgrades cost $450 for all. Jack

Is the gain in transparency worth the loss of warmth, kinda like the warmth.

I do not think you loose any warmth at all with the upgrade. I have not had the Ayre conditioner upgrade, only the circut mod. The amp runs a little hotter, but I think it sounds sweeter and more transparent.

I have two V-3s. One has both mods while the other is unmodded. I do not notice a significant decline in warmth with the mods. In fact, before I saw this thread, I was listening to the modded amp and thinking how smooth it sounded. I believe warmth is embodied in my definition of smooth. I agree that the mods bring more transparency but the unmodded amp remains a favorite also. My comparisons have included C-J solid state and tube, Jadis Defy 7, Pass 5 and several others. I love the Pass and the Jadis. Both are remarkable amps. When I return to either Ayre, however, I always feel a sense of relief. Now the sound is just right. Mine is a high-resolution system: Krell KPS 20i/L CD; Linn lingoed turntable, Martin Logan CLSIIz speakers. Both Ayres are great. Van