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Simaudio I5 to separates?

I've been considering whether moving from my I5 to separates would be a worthwhile move. While I quite enjoy the sound from the I5, my only complaint would be a slight bloat in the upper bass/lower midrange area. Other than that, I really like its presentation.

That being said, I was quite taken aback upon hearing an all-Ayre system a year ago at the Montreal audio show - it was a full-5 system (ie, KX-5e, VX-5e and CX-5e). It had everything that I like about a high-end system - solid, authoritative bottom end, "you are there" liquid midrange and sparkling highs. The speakers were Sonus Faber Cremonas.

So...would my system take a significant step in that direction by moving to Ayre separates in place of my I5? Or would Sim's separates offer this same type of sound? Or am I going off on a wild goose chase, where I will spend a lot of $$ and not hear a lot of difference without also changing speakers?

Surely the I5 is popular, so if you had one and moved to separates - where did you go and what were the results?

FYI - my speakers are Totem Hawks, cdp is Ayre CX-7e, turntable is a Gyro SE with Graham 2.2 tonearm and Benz L2 cartridge with Sim LP5.3 phono stage.
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eslaudio
118 posts
 
I tried an I-5 with my Totem Hawks and found the sound to be somewhat thin and fatiguing to listen to after awhile. In my system, the Hawks sounded their best with at least 125 WPC of high current solid state amplification paired with a quality tube preamplifier. The SS/tube pairing brings out the best attributes of the Hawks--the amazing bass output and liquid midrange.
jlamb
150 posts
 
I'm very interested to know how you fare in this particular 'quest'. I also have an I5, which I love, but mated to JA RM7si Sig. For my listenning levels, this is sufficient power; however, I've been thinking about a tube pre, preferably with a good phono stage.
Not having ever heard the Hawk/I5 combo, I can't comment on the 'slight bloat in the upper bass/lower midrange area' you speak of. I have not noticed this in my setup.
nrenter's avatar
nrenter
765 posts
 
You may want to consider an Ayre AX-7e / P-5xe / L-5xe along with your Ayre CX-7e (and then have your CX-7e upgraded to "mp" status). Then, run your P-5xe and CX-7e(mp) to the AX-7e using balanced interconnects.

Charles Hansen has said (over on AudioAsylum) that he'd prefer to listen to an AX-7e w/ an L-5xe than the 5-series without the L-5xe. The L-5xe is the next component on my list. If there's one person I trust in this hobby, it's Charles Hansen.

"Separates" doesn't always mean "better sound". Sometimes, it just means "more expensive" plus "another set of interconnects".
genkides
27 posts
 
Whether you get the magic sound you are after by spending more money is always a difficult question as there are many variables including room set-up (ie, a great sound heard in one environment may not be so convincing in yours). Tweaking what you've got with cables, pc's and room conditioning may be a better path in the short term (although your profile indicates you may have done some of this already). Just to throw a curve ball, I just spent months auditioning high quality amps for my JM Labs 1027be's. Heard various Pass, Ayre, Cary, Krell, MF, Spectron and Simaudio integrated and separates. All with various things I liked and didnt like about them in my room. The greatest improvement though came from an Audio Logic DAC added to my system which I listened to only because the dealer had one with him when he picked up the Spectron. For me the solution was not what I was expecting and proved the value of experimenting widely in my own listenng environment. Good luck with the journey.
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