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Feedback on Ayre and Aesthetix with Vandersteen 5As

Hello,

I am looking to upgrade my two channel system. This will also be part of home theater setup. (75% two channel listening vs 25% movies). Currently I am running Vandersteen 5a (non-carbon) with a Bryston amp (9bsst) and Marantz preamp (8801).  I have narrowed it down to two brands, Aesthetix - Atlas & Calypso or Ayre-  KX-5 twenty & VX-5 twenty. I do not have a local dealer for these brands but I was able to listen to both while out of town hooked up to the Vandersteen 5a carbons. They both sounded amazing. I felt the Aesthetix had a warmer laid back sound and the Ayre had a more revealing, forward sound. I am looking for some feedback on your experiences with these brands or things I should be thinking about. Both retail for around the same cost but I am able to get Aesthetix combo for less. My listening preferences are all over the board from classic rock (Pink Floyd, CSN, Elton John) to jazz and classical/acoustic music.

Thanks
Rob
robertkat

Showing 1 response by stringreen

stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,516 posts
 
I'm using my 5A's with Ayre....no complaints.  I would heed Audio Connection's recommendations...he's never steered me wrong.....however......I have just installed ClearAudio double shotgun bi-wire speaker cables and was shocked at the presentation.. so good.  I know John at the Connection doesn't like silver, but....

Everything sounds different in different setups...the NY Philharmonic sounds different in Avery Fischer Hall and Carnegie Hall.  The audience smiles in both places.
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