Musical fidelity Nu Vista M3 vs Ayre AX-7e

Its a very hard question to answer. I've had both brands and can say that they sound very different from each other. Personally, I think Ayre is much better. Thats what I currently use. If I were you, I would try to listen to some Ayre gear first. Just because I like it doesn't mean that you will. What speakers are you using? That may be the deciding factor. Also, Ayre does sound better balanced, but that wouldn't be the sole factor in making a decision. Ayre products still sound good when they are mixed with SE components.

Bo1972,

What are you talking about?

Bo1972,

I get the fact that you can hear the difference between components. That said, your post is a little vague. You're not comparing the 2 brands to some type of reference. You say they are good, but not exceptional. What's exceptional? Not only that, Ayre an MF sound completely different from each other. Unless you make comparisons that people can use somehow, you'll have a hard time convincing anyone to see it your way.

Aside from that, don't limit yourself. 15 years is a good start. But looking back on my first 15 years in this business, I can definitely say that one can go 30 years and still be learning. Its a never ending process.

I'm not really doubting anyones comments, but they're just all over the place. So many things contribute to the sound of an audio system it can be very difficult to sort out. Not only that, when you take something like imaging, every piece in the system plays a part. Everything depends on system matching and understanding how all the components fit and work together. If you want to be successful and have a great sounding system, you absolutely must do so using a systems approach. Its not good enough to just pick a good amp and a good pair of speakers. To do it right, you need to have a picture of what the entire system will be upon completion. That doesn't mean you have to buy everything all at once, but just be confident as to where the system is going to end up.

Just to clarify I'll give an example. If you read these threads, most of the people looking for advice will say something like "I have Speaker A, can someone recommend an amp that will go well with them?" Theres nothing wrong with that, but I don't feel thats the best way to go about it. If you are serious about putting together a great system it would be far better to listen as many systems as you can and then pick something you like the sound of as a whole. Once you do that, its easy. Then you can just stay focused on the most important thing; the end result. Doesn't mean you have to copy the system exactly (although you can if you want to), but component selection becomes much easier when you know the type of sound you strive for.