Used Ayre amp market pricing

I installed a K-5xeMP preamp yesterday that replaced a Cary Cinema 12 processor.  I'm using a 30-year-old Proceed Amp 2 to drive a pair of KEF LS50s.  Sources are an Oppo 105 and Sony HAP-Z1ES.  All connections are balanced.  The sound quality is excellent, with sufficient LF extension that I don't miss the subs.  The Ayre preamp is a big improvement over the Cary processor.  I'll continue to look for a VX-5 not V-5xe, but the dual monoblock Amp 2 is serving well so I'm in no hurry.  The setup appears clutter-free, with everything fitting in the cabinet and without the subs and bass manager.  I suspect replacing the Amp 2 with a VX-5 will not have the impact replacing the Cary C12 with the Ayre K-5 had.

Btw, it seems like a bit of over kill to power up a pair of KEF LS50s.  Hee hee...You might want to starting look for a used pair of Vandies to advantage of all that Ayre gear you're collecting :).      

You'd be surprised how good the LS50s sound in the setup.  I have a setup that uses KEF Reference 107/2s and 204/2C driven by 3 Parasound JC 1s.  The stereo preamp in that setup is a JC 2 BP, surround processor a Bryston SP-3.  Sources are vinyl through a JC 3, Ayre C-5xeMP, Oppo 105D, and Esoteric SA-60 disc players.  The setup use a pair of 15" subs for surround and HT, but not for stereo.

Very nice set up. I did hear the LS50s and they do sound very good for the price performance. I really do enjoy the KEF sound.  I haven't heard many Parasound components but when I did they were solid.  The Vandy + Ayre combo is pretty special so if you haven't heard them together, I hope you get a chance.  Good luck in your hunt!

The Parasound JC 1 monoblocks drive the KEF Reference speakers with a sense of neutral authority, with fine detail and imaging.  The amps have sufficient current to extend LF to below 20 Hz.  Pairing the JC 1 amp & JC 2 preamp is often said to approach a straight wire with gain.

I've been using 20-watt Cary CAD 572 SE tube monoblocks as an alternative to drive the LS50s with surprisingly good results.  I look forward to pairing them with the Ayre preamp.

There is a dealer for both Ayre and Vanderstein in Santa Monica, a pleasant drive down PCH from Santa Barbara with only Malibu as a possible source of traffic.  So it's entirely plausible that I may hear an Ayre/Vanderstein pairing.