Pass Labs INT-150 is $6500 (you could almost buy two Ayre AX-7's for that), and looks not unlike the Ayre in that it is a billet box with fins and blue LCD readout. I've not heard it. I have heard a few of his X series and would not have associated that sound with the Ayre amp I heard. Pass occurred to me as a bit cleaner and crisper for lack of a better descriptor. Ayre sounded a bit more relaxed and natural and reminded me of tubes in the way it softened what might otherwise occur as hard edges. I don't know if their integrated is fitted to that mold (based on the X series), but I'd guess it was, as opposed to his First Watt stuff, which I've also heard in passing and reminded me more of what I heard from the Ayre, though they are not the same beast. You may also consider buying used, which typically is about 40-50% off list depending upon the product and its condition. Man, for me it's all about the music and how the gear presents it. If you don't like the look of it you could always put it behind a cabinet door so you don't have to look at it. Jaybo - you're hilarious! |
Hey ...wait a minute...I resemble that remark...'' one of those old dudes who used to follow the Grateful Dead around ''...make a note I have taken offense .....I was one of those DUDES |
your current amp is just fine....oh yeah, what is it? |
I am looking for options within the Ayer sound signature. Price option as well as design options.
1. I hate the look of Ayer. It is probably the most hedious modern SS amp.
2. I don't want to pay Ayer price tag it is 60% bloated, imo.
Thus I am wondering what else is out there that has Ayer decent sound but might offer better aesthtics as well as better price. Thank you very much to one member who suggested PASS ,I will look into that.
The rest of you guys are just trolling on my thread and lip-flopping about some tubes.
I don't need lectures on tubes or anything else you care to talk about.
I am open to suggestion of SS integrated with open treble and flat response. |
I think Bill's figured out what he's looking for...Tom Waits even wrote a song about it. |
>>So what exactly ARE you looking for that the Ayre does not offer?<<
A $499 pricetag.
Gold plated knobs.
Remote control (full function- garage door and car starter)
Delivered.
With a 30 year warranty. |
I agree.
Dkzzz is just looking for an argument.
Why don't you just buy an Ayre and put this thread to rest. |
I have to disagree with Jax2...I have an Ayre v1xe connected to a K1xe, and the soundstage is as wide as depicted on the recording. You haven't heard my amps :-) so how would you know? Sorry, I should have limited my comment to those amps I've had experience with. I have not heard your system so obviously could not compare it, though it seems that I did in my sweeping statement. Apologies there...I lost my head! I would add that the V5Xe presented one of the largest, deepest stages I've heard via an SS amp and I was very impressed with that. It did not surpass my SET amps in that regard though. Dkzzzz - seems to me like you're just trolling for an argument at this point. Your statements have become somewhat inflammatory. You still have not clarified what more you want than what the Ayre had to offer, and why you don't just buy that? Tubes vs. Transistors argument has very little to do with techonology or measurements. I'd submit to you that technology and measurements are only a small part of the equation that may account for how human beings perceive, experience and enjoy music and the reproduction thereof. It is entirely subjective, regardless. Seriously, why do I see so many requests for :Recommend me a warm sounding.....recommend me a smooth sounding....etc. And what you are asking us here is "recommend me another amp that sounds like an Ayre" .... what exactly is the difference in that? You've just changed "warm" or "tubey" to "Ayre-like"! You've made a query here and you seem to be responding defensively to suggestions. I think we get it - you are looking for a solid state amp that sounds like an Ayre. You've made it crystal clear what you are NOT looking for (warm, tubey, pleasant distortion, and anything that implements tubes in any way shape or form). So what exactly ARE you looking for that the Ayre does not offer? |
Tube SS argument will go on as long as Last fo dynosaurus still alive. By dynasoaurses I meant some Chinese/Russian factories that still make tubes on equipment they pu togetaher in 50s for defence purposes, as well as all those dudes that used to follow Greatfull Dead around.
Seriously, why do I see so many requests for :Recommend me a warm sounding.....recommend me a smooth sounding....etc.
Tubes vs. Transistors argument has very little to do with techonology or measurements. It is all about pleasant distortion that Tubes produce, hence "warm sound".
Well I am not loking for soft sound or warm sound or whatever you call that tube-distortion that you beaming through set of Sonus Faber speakers.
Don't mean to sound harsh, but hey, some old dudes love to drive classic sports cars, not becasue they offer better performance but just casue they look nice, I get it. |
The tube/SS argument might go on forever (it will) - maybe we should just stick with the OPs original intention, but I still think that the reason the Ayre sounds good to me is that it has some tube qualities - oops, didn't mean to to that. Yeah, go with the Ayre if you like it, or try the Pass. |
I have to disagree with Jax2...I have an Ayre v1xe connected to a K1xe, and the soundstage is as wide as depicted on the recording. If it's a nightclub jazz recording..no, but listening to Das Lied von der Erde by Tilson Thomas et al, you are transported to the event including the air of the hall. There are tubed units that induce "air" into a recording...not needed or wanted. |
If you like the Ayre, why don't you just get that? Dismissing tubes to a "nostalgic novelty" reflects a very narrow viewpoint and someone who either has precious little experience with modern tube amps, or has not discovered the wonders of Q-tips :-) Strange, I never heard tube amplifier with clear open treble or tight controlled bass. Which tube amps have you listened to? My friend's VTL 450's in the context of his system most certainly fit that description. The SET amps I prefer may lack in the ultimate low end control, but they certainly have upper extension and no SS, including the Ayre, could touch them for soundstaging and sheer palpability of performers in a 3-dimensional space behind the speakers ("natural presence" in spades). The Ayre did excel in other areas, certainly bass control being one, but I'm willing to sacrifice some of that for the strengths I prefer. It's all a trade-off and IMO there is no one perfect solution that does everything just "right". You just need to find what works for you. I do respect that it sounds like you know what you want, but don't understand what it is that you are looking for beyond that; Perhaps if you were to define what it is that the Ayre did not have that you are after, others may be able to be more specific? As I said, I haven't heard an SS amp I liked as much as the Ayre I auditioned, but then I don't get out much....too busy waxing nostalgic on the sounds of tubes. |
Well, if you are only interested in SS, I would consider the new Pass Integrated, not sure you would like it better than the Ayre, but I consider both Ayre and Pass to be at the pinnacle of SS design. You comments on tubes makes me wonder what tubes amps you heard and with what speakers, it doesn't sound like my experience with tubes at all, but that is another debate and if you want SS Pass is certainly a worthy alternative. |
You may want to have a look at a well broken in Jeff Rowland (JRDG) Continuum 500. Rather than a classic SS using discrete components, it is a class D design using ICEpower ASP1000 modules, a Power Factor Correction / rectifier front end that feeds 385V DC to the input transformer for minimizing line noise and charge ripples. Continuum 500 includes a linestage card equivalent to the JRDG Capri linestage. DCSTEP has posted a review of it on Agon and discusses it at length on his home thread. G.
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vdone&1198908516&read&keyw&zzcontinuum%20500 |
>>Shameless plug, VAC Avatar SE.<<
Totally agree.
Shameless. |
You said [I consider tube equipment a nostalgic novelty and nothing more]. Might be time to open your mind and ears for your wrong about tubes. If you said tube amps cost to much or retubings a pain. Or tube amps of hi-power and great quality are expensive then your right. I you said I just don't like tubes fine but they are not a nostalgic novelty. They offer performance as good as SS. As far as SS integrated s the YBAs are very good, easy to listen to. The new MF A1 is detailed images very well but only 37 watts. Sure tubes are not for everyone. But they can produce wonderful fidelity. |
Strange, I never heard tube amplifier with clear open treble or tight controlled bass.
I liked Ayre for the fact that it has open dynamic sound ,fuller spectrum than most of the amps I have heard (YBA, MF, Krell, Plinius, Unison.....etc)
As a matter of fact I am not into tubes. I consider tube equipment a nostalgic novelty and nothing more.
P.S. I am really looking for only SS equipment and I do want it to have flat extended response. |
Yep, tubes. I recently had the pleasure of having an Ayre V5XE in my system for about a week. What a great amp! No hard edges or harsh clipping or anything at all to make me think of an SS amp (in the bad sense - there are certainly other good SS amps). The presentation was oh so natural and clean, yet very resolving and balanced. I would agree with Pubul57 - if you like the Ayre, and you are not, for some odd reason, going to actually get the Ayre, then I'd be looking at tubes. You will be hard pressed to find an integrated SS amp that sounds like that IMO. |
Shameless plug, VAC Avatar SE. |
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