Can't decide on Integrated Amp - Please Help

I would put the Ayre up against any of the amps on the market in that range right now. It's a natural sounding amp. It will play what you send through it. Honest. Closest to tubes that I"ve heard for SS and I'm a tube guy. I've heard many of the integrates listed in this thread and many are excellent sounding.

Just my personal, but I listened to all the integrated's talked about in this thread and the Ayre was heads and toes above the others a couple aren't in the same class at all. PEsonally, I hope you get a chance to go listen for yourself. I have used a top NAD integrated with Proac Supertowers for years and I needed a change. I also run a Marantz in my bedroom system, so I fully know what they sound like I"m not cutting them down at all as I own them myself, but they don't do anything as well as the Ayre. The Ayre should as it costs much more. The AX5 is the best integrated I've ever heard. We are talking about the AX7e in this thread but they are cut from the same DNA. Go listen for yourself as that's the only way you will be happy with your purchase.

Lot's of choices. I'd love to see you get an Ayre and put it up against all the other choices you have. That will tell us about your ear, lol.

I made the decision to go fully balanced. I am even looking into going balance for my turntable/phono pre. It has made the world of difference. Just get a balanced DAC and you're all set. When you play in this range, going balanced is pretty easy. The Ayre to me just blew away all the others and I often will bring my integrated with me to shops and listen straight up. Even the sales people are blown away by the Ayre. Any shop I've gone into who sells Ayre along with others ALWAYS has demoed with the Ayre gear if I didn't ask. If you ask the workers, they all say the Ayre is what they have or want. I find that telling myself.

Dayglow....I have no idea what you are talking about in regards to the Ayre....There is no way it's a bright amp. Please reread all the posts by those of us who have the amps from Ayre and you will notice similar words like nearly tube like...It's very detailed in a warm way...It's the opposite of bright. The problem with Monitor speakers from everything I've ever heard is that they are very bright. They aren't my cup of tea, but some people like that in their sound. To me Wilsons are also tipped up in the high end and When I've heard them with the Ayre amps they've sounded their best.

Dayglow, have you owned an AX7e? If so, what have you played it with? There is NO WAY that the Ayre are 'hi fi gymnastics'...they are the natural Timber/texture that you mention.....I'll take everyone else comments over what you have shared. I"m sure you've never own the Ayre and probably haven't even heard it based on your comments. I've shared on a few threads that I have brought my Ayre to other dealers to audition speakers as I was keeping my Ayre and wanted new speakers....even the dealers said they were shocked as what the Ayre did. One actually called Ayre to see if they could become a dealer....Glowing endorsement to say the least I'd say.

Well, Theil and Maggies can sound that way regardless of what you run them with. Set up is key. I don't know what older Ayre stuff sounded like, but the AX7 is a great match for a speaker like that. Plenty detailed, but honest in it's presentation. It's a mellow amp if you would. It's not even close to what you assert. I've heard the Ayre on so many speakers and it so many different systems and the one constant is that it's helped all of them and even store owners have noticed the same thing, even if they weren't selling it. The AX5 is probably the best integrated I've ever heard and fits into any system and makes it better. I'm saving up for that one. The problem with the net is that folks make assumptions and in your first post you stated your feelings as fact if you would and that's skews things for the original poster and the rest of who read and don't listen. I'm not flaming you, just pointing out that unless you actually hear products together and especially the newest stuff (that we are talking about in the thread) maybe it's best not to say that you may need earplugs to listen to it. Thats not fair to the Ayre folks. I"m not a shill, just a satisfied customer....I listened to the Hegel gear, Ayre gear, Sim gear and all the rest before settling on Ayre....There are major differences in all of them and that's why there are so many products out there. I've never heard anyone say anything bad about Ayre before, I guess that's why your comments really threw me for a loop. Hope this isn't harsh as that's not how I intend it to be.

Dayglow, my point is that you can't make a statement that you think the Marantz is better than the Ayre when you have never heard the Ayre, let alone in the same system. That's the problem I have with your statements. I have heard the two amps vs each other. I like the Marantz unit...I like it a lot, but do yourself a favor and go listen to the amps side by side in the same system.

the upgrades are huge. You're the only person I've ever heard say that the Ayre is hot on top, which is basically what you have stated. Many on this thread have disagreed with your statement also. Hansen just doesn't make products that are hot. That's why anyone who has his products or reviews them call them the most tube like for SS. Do yourself a favor and go listen to the products that we are discussing before making comments about how they sound. We are specifically speaking about the AX5 or AX7e, which should soon get the diamond stage in I bet, which will take it to another level again.

I wasn't trying to start a back and forth, but you have never heard the Ayre AX7e and it's NOT the AX7 by any means. My ONLY comment is that you can't comment negatively on a product that you have never heard. The new diamond stages changes the game even more and hopefully soon that will be included in the AX7e. Here is your exact post. You did say it was the 7e and not the 7 that you have heard years ago. Again, please try and look at my posts using facts and not emotion. We all like different things.

11-08-14: Dayglow
An Ayre AX7e mated to a Monitor Audio RX6 with wood flooring "might" make earplugs a necessity. IMO the RX6 needs a "calmer" form of amplification if natural timbre/texture is valued over hi-fi gymnastics.