MF A308 v.s. MF A5.5

I can't speak for the A308 but I have the A5.5 with Totem Model 1 monitors. It does some very good things, for one thing is bass. It has authority and it's very tight like no other. The highs are smooth and liquid. I just A/B with a Ayre AX-7e and the bass difference is substantial and the Ayre sounds very bright in comparison however the A5.5 had a limited sound stage, information, depth, lack of pace/speed, decay and separation compared to the Ayre but the A5.5 was very musical, very smooth and whenever I was in adjoining rooms/off axis I was always noticing how beautiful the sounds was, much better than the Ayre..

The A5.5 has been very satisfying (akin to a nice flowing creek & wind blowing through the trees) whenever I was doing casual listening during chores, writing emails but during critical listening the Ayre was very exciting to listen to (akin to fireworks) however it would get fatiguing. The differences were not small.

I wish I could put the two together.

Last note on the A5.5, at times I did have a physical buzzing problem with it that also has been reported by others but found it was caused by a phone charger in the other side of the room and is now fine once the charger was removed. Only the A5.5 had this problem in my room and it's audible from listening position The Ayre did have a very quiet background.

One more thing. The built-in USB DAC on the A5.5 is average. I compared it to a USB Devilsound DAC and the Devilsound was a big improvement in my opinion. I wouldn't consider it a selling point for the A5.5 .

thank you very much for your response Crad!

Anyone else have something to offer?

Crad - Isn't the only difference between the A5 & A5.5 the USB DAC? If so, it's not really necessary to exclude A5 in favor of the A5.5, correct?

Nico,

I believe there were changes/improvements and in A/B between the A5 & A5.5 you could hear a improved difference. I can not say specifically what changes were made, sorry. I would not buy the A5.5 specifically for the DAC but there are a lot of positive reviews on the A5.5 and demand more money than the A5.

I currently have the Ayre hooked up but really miss the A5.5 in my system although I will feel the same way after I hook up the A5.5 and wanting the Ayre back. The A5.5 has loads and loads of juice, no problems in that regard.

In regards to looking at the A5, you can buy these for less money but I would shoot for the A308 instead if you can find one for a good price ($1,600), they were made in the UK and better suited for bi-wiring. The A5 can have a buzzing sound out of the amp that has been reported often and made in Taiwan.

With either one I have been told and read that a power cord and speaker wire can make big changes. Something I have yet to try.