full ayre suite driving atc scm-50psl

ayre mx-r monoblock

ayre cx-7e cd player

ayre kx-r preamp

the internals of ayre kx-r preamp

i am not sure why today's audiophiles don't visit hifi shops anymore, even for the casual chat with the dealer or the rare opportunities to listen to some stunning products on display. most hifi shops are deserted these days, save for some random visitors on weekends. has hifi been reduced to a closet hobby?

seriously, guys, you should come out from your cocoon and pay a visit to our nice host at hi-way laser. just how often do you get to listen to a high-end system the calibre of ayre acoustics? boasting a stellar line-up comprising of its latest flagship preamp, KX-R (RM73K), matched with its award-winning MX-R monoblock (RM73K) and cabled via MIT oracle MA speaker cables, this is an invitation extended to you readers that is not to be missed. with kenny sin, the boss at hi-way, you don't need to have a fat bank account, to be entitled to this opportunity. every audiophile, like the chinese proverb says, "within the four seas, is treated equal".

for the last two years charles hansen and his design team have been exhaustively working on a matching preamp to accompany the famed MX-R monoblock and the result comes in the form of KX-R preamp - a stunning piece of music machinery that appeals to both the eyes and the heart.

KX-R has the same fully-balanced, zero-feedback design as the world renown K-1xe (1996). cutting edge technology sees the KX-R featuring the world's first transconductance volume control which operates with four silver-to-silver contact switches providing the purest signal path for the variable gain stage. coupled that with ayre's equilock circuitry, you have a preamp with unparalleled clarity and resolution.

for those who have never tasted ayre's house sound. it is a sound that is superbly clean, neutral and slightly on the "yin" side of the tonal balance. it has great dimensionality and exquisite refinement. if you don't listen to the bass (which is as good as any SS gear can get), it actually does not sound very solid-state at all.

driving the ATC SCM-50PSL tower, i blasted the KX-R way pass normal listening level to enjoy the full glory of teddy robin CD. like any ATC, the SCM50 is like a masochistic animal who demanded to be driven hard. listening to teddy robin at such a deafening level is an new aural experience to me!

i am all out of love; i am so lost without you - ayre supply is currently holding its mega concert at hi-way laser, ss2. be there or be square.

call kenny sin to make an appointment 019-2813399.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thought the picture shows an Ayre KR-X pre-amp and not the ayre k-5xe preamp

Anonymous said...

Yes, it should be the Ayre KX-R preamp, right? The K-5xe has the same styling as the C-5xe player.

maggielurva 愛美姬 said...

oops! sorry, my mistake. it should be the KX-R preamp. silly me ;-)

Anonymous said...

How could any audiophile miss such oppurtunity???!!!

Very well set up,SS at its best,and AYRE is one of those few companies that still have a distinct house sound..

Anonymous said...

In Us you have to make an appointment weeks in advance to listen to such referance system...some nice deaker you have over there MAggielurva,

As far as I am concerned, AYRE has taken over from Mark Levinson,Krell and Jeff Rowland as the new Flag bearers of American SS amplifications.The only American That is left to fight the onslought of Brilliant Design from canada,France and Germany....


In aclass of its own,and very good matching,I havent heard heard AYRE driving ATC though....very interesting match,how anyone could resist that I do not know

GadgetBuzzer said...

A friend used a pair of Acoustic Research Reference 210 monoblocks to drive his pair of Sonus Faber Stradivari Homage and to our ears, the amps didn't have enough juice and ran out of steam. And it's not the power supply because he has separate 20A dedicated lines serving each monoblock (and a third 20A for his source).

He has since upgraded to the Krell Evolution One monoblocks instead and now his system is kickass! Haven't heard the Ayre amps but Krell seems to be still up there.

Anonymous said...

gadgetbuzzer,
Is your friend's Stradivari/Krell combo in S'pore or Malaysia? It would be an interesting experience to listen to it. I think the sound would be great too. I remember reading an issue of Hi-Fi News with Ken Kessler doing a SF factory visit and there's a pair of Krell monoblocks in the Sonus Faber factory listening room driving the Strads.

GadgetBuzzer said...

jjj

no, unfortunately it's in HK.

Anonymous said...

I think Krell evolution is ok ,but you need to use it throught your system to get the best results..even then it is still not as good as AYRE

Anonymous said...

Gadget buzzer,

Does your friend use Yter cables throught his system.?

I am surprised that he isn't getting the results,Yter cables give the best sound for Sonus

GadgetBuzzer said...

dr k

Yes, he is using Yter throughout.

Just that the AR did not seem to have enough power, unlike the Krell. I am not for or against either brands... just in the experience in this particular situation.

Anonymous said...

Actually The AYRE is very unamerican in its sound

It is almost as if one of the european designrer decided to open shop across the Atlantiic.

For those of you who have heard The KARAN range ,I am sure you could detect a lot of similarity in the sound.Very detailed but not in your face kind of sound.....the exact opposit of Krell I would say.


I wish i am in Malaysia,for surely I would run to listen.I've never heard an AYRE driven ATC before ....what a prospect

Anonymous said...

Yup,There are big reasons why ayre keep winning those awards.

just superbly engineered products

Anonymous said...

Just thinking about this set up make my hair raise!!!!!!

I would have blasted Meatloaf's Bat out of hell and see how the ATC handles it......Phew....

Anonymous said...

There are @ american companies that are still up there as far as amp are concerened;
AYRE.headed by a brilliant design engineer.

BOULDER.SS at its best IMO.But the Boulders love massive ,recalcitrant american loudspeakers like WIlson .

As far as the others,I think they are chasing the wrong solutions.Even The venerable ARC seems to be losing its shine with their latest offerings.I still prefer slightly older ARC design than their new ones....

maggielurva 愛美姬 said...

hi lennon,

you took the words out of my mouth with regards to ARC. yes, the old ones are better (especially tonality), that's why i am keeping my classic 120 ;-)

maggielurva 愛美姬 said...

hi km,

now it is syabas, no more bekalan air selangor!

gadget,
i believe you meant audio research?

d'silva,
wow, you really know ayre. yes, they don't sound american, not in the "brute force" category anyway.