Amp upgrade from Ayre V-5xe

sota = state of the art :)

K1xe is still a very good pre, I agree. But ultimately if you wanna change the soul of your sound, it would be best to change both pre and amp. 

Hard to beat an Ayre stack
....vxr is under radar underrated amp
especially if you can find a twenty series....
i spent 3 x to better it....,,

work your cables, isolation, myrtle blocks, power cords before you change..,,,,

I'm using a QX-5 Twenty, KX-5 Twenty, and VX-5 Twenty combination, all balanced of course, based on my long-term love affair with a C-5xeMP.  There is something about the music just flowing with the Ayre gear, but that ended when I inserted a Bryston 10B crossover between the preamp and amp, contravening Charles Hansen's admonition not to do it.  The result was HiFi sound.  Removing the 10B restored the sense of music flowing without electronic intervention.

I don't know, but I'd guess the upgrade from V-5ex to VX-5 Twenty is a worthy upgrade, at least Charles Hansen thought so, and his thoughts seem worthy of attention.

db

To be clear : I don’t want to change the sound of my system. I want to improve it

(((I don’t want to change the sound of my system. I want to improve it)))

  The Revel speakers are certainly well put together, committee design, checks all the boxes, using fine materials with a nice balance and impressive at their price point.
In order to improve on this, it really depends on what you are looking for.
If that, in particular, is hearing more of what the microphone really picked up
with the fundamental, overtones and harmonics all intact
I would suggest you take a listen to a set of Vandersteen Fives or Five As.
These along with the zero feedback Ayre gear you already own IME would
 complete and make a truly special system.
Best,
 JohnnyR