Next upgrade, DartZeel or Ayre

I heard Ayre MX-R driven directly by Nagra cdplayer on Guarneri Memento and that system was really bad. I couldn't even hear tape hiss on Living stereo SACD-s, syrupy midrange and hard upper mid...

Henryhk, I know DartZeel is very very good and super musical for a solid state. but I am a tube addict and I don't think DartZeel can match an all tube system, or am I wrong? I know someone sold off his BAT 75SE to get DartZeel to drive his Evolution Acoustic; I don't know his reason for doing so, maybe for sound, for convenience, or Jonathan talked him into using DartZeel to drive EA since he imports both? what ever the reason, I am just not 100% convinced DartZeel combo can sound as musical as an all tube system and I need someone who moved to DartZeel after owning tubes to hit me on the head and tell me to forget about tubes.

Teddy bear, I know Ayre can sound sterile and cold at times if not fully warm up. I heard the combo in dealer as I mentioned. though very clean and transparent, it sure does not have the last bit of air, organic midrange, and delicacy of tube setup.

seems like I am convincing myself to stay with tubes. yes and no. I know something take tubes to create but solid state has closed the gap in recent years. just wondering if the gap is small enough and time is now to pull the trigger.

Why don't you just do a home demo of the Ayre combo?

I have had the Ayre MX-R monoblocks for almost 2 years...and love them. Having only listened to the DarZeel set up in a pass by listen...they were nice but didn't attract me enough to pay serious attention...but I am sure they are excellent. My thoughts are monoblocks next to speakers is an excellent way to go...as to pre amps I have wandered through a few....VTL is excellent but suspect that the KX-R is coming home...

Bar81, the reason I haven't borrowed the Ayre home is I am on oversea assignment and I did not bring my main system with me. Therefore even if my local dealer loan me the power amp, I won't be able to appreciate all of its strength in my current system.

That being said, I did visit my local dealer today hoping to hear both KX-R and MX-R. I wasn't that lucky, KX-R was out on loan and won't be back till 4 weeks later. I did hear MX-R in two different systems and one of them was very high resolution which consisted of Ayre CDP, Spectral 30, and Avalon ISIS. All I can say is the system sounded totally hi-fi to my ears. It did have great dynamic, great extension, great transparency, and great details, but it did not capture my soul, far from it.

Not sure if it was the Spectral or Avalon, but I suspected it was the Spectral more as I did hear Avalon ISIS driven by Hovland before with great emotion. I will return in a few weeks to hear the KX-R, but at this point I am not expecting miracle.