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Attn: Ayre v-5xe owners


Hello,

There's been a lot of Ayre v-5xe amplifiers (two-channel 150 watts per channel) for sale on Audiogon over the past 3-6 months. Wanted to ask previous and current v-5xe owners what your opinion is of this amp. It seems that one recurring complaint is that the bass region is a little light.

Both reviewers and owners alike agree that the MXR monoblocks are expceptional, but most of us will only be able to afford the mid-priced Ayre amps such as the v-5xe. Wanted to ask if the v-5xe is a viable mid-level alternative or we should keep our fingers crossed that the MXR technology will trickle down to the lower-priced Ayre amps at some point in the near future.

Thanks in advance for your valuable opinions. As usual, the community is very helpful.

Matt
mminor
bigtee
803 posts
 
The V5xe is simply superb in soundstage and depth of field. It is unbelievably holographic. However, I think a fair assessment would be it is a touch light in the bottom.
I ended up using a 2 channel Theta Dreadnaught I amp which I found more satisfying. It features the same atributes as the V5xe but is more solid in the bottom and sounds more powerful overall. The V5 is rated at 150w/ch @ 8 ohms where the Theta is rated at 200/ch @ 8 ohms. I believe Charles Hansen had an input to the design of the Dreadnaught.
I used Vandersteen's which rendered the slightly light bottom a moot point since they had built in subs. However, I still prefered the Dreadnaught. Hope this helps.
mmike84
309 posts
 
I'm a former V-1xe and MXR owner. I think it's the 0 feedback thing, but Ayre's stuff seems to be a bit more refined and polite than similarly rated stuff from some others. With the right speaker that's a good thing not a bad thing. The V-5 is a great amp the belies it's price point. If your speakers are fairly efficient you'll be fine. If not there might be a better fit out there.
proth
29 posts
 
I had the V-5xe before moving up to the MXRs. I never felt a particular lack in bass, and my unit always controlled the bass region very well, although the "light in bass" comment has often been attributed to Ayre amps, especially before thier "e" implementation. You should really listen to a V-5xe in your system. One of the benefits of Audiogon is that you can buy, listen for an extended period and, if its not your cup of tea, resell it for essentially the same price. Given how few speakers really plumb the depths these days, any bass shyness may not be a big deal in your actual listening environment. The V-5xe is truly musical, which is ultimately a prime goal in hifi. Have fun.
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