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Need Preamp Advice For Adding a Turntable

This is my first post on Audiogon, so please be gentle. Over the last several years I've been able to find the help that I've needed just searching through the forums, but now I could use advice specific to my system. I understand this is all subjective and everyone's hearing is different, I'm just hoping for a little shove in the right direction.

My system consists of:
Ayre K5xe mp Preamp
PS Audio PerfectWave DAC
PS Audio PerfectWave Transport
Theta Dreadnaught Amp
Vandersteen 5A Speakers

I'm pretty happy with the current sound, though, at times I've wondered if I could improve on it with a different preamp or possibly other tweaks. The Ayre is a great piece and I only mention changing it because it's been my experience that the preamp has the greatest affect on the sound. It's very easy to listen to, but I feel like something is missing. This may be due to previously having a tube preamp with class A mono blocks before having to move and go without a stereo for a couple of years. I've just recently finished piecing this system together so my ears haven't had a ton of time to adjust and I'm just happy to be able to play music again.

So now I'm hoping I can draw on other's experiences as to whether I should look into just adding a phono preamp to my current system, or go with a preamp with a built in phono stage or possibly replacing the Ayre K5xe mp with a separate line stage plus phono preamp that mate well together.

The type of sound that I enjoy is fairly neutral and transparent with a good amount of detail, a large soundstage with good separation and timbre with maybe a touch of bloom. Something musical and fairly accurate.

Features I'm looking for:
Solid State (have to integrate into HT, tubes a possibility)
Home Theater Pass Through
Fully Balanced
XLR and RCA inputs
Remote
Under $5K used

Preamp models I've read about, but have no experience:
Pass Labs XP-10 or XP-20
Parasound JC-2
Sim Moon
Aesthetix Calypso or Janus

Phono Preamps, also no experience with them:
Pass XP-15
Ayre P5xe
Aesthetix Rhea

I do enjoy what a nice tube preamp can add to a system, but am hoping to get as close as I can with a solid state preamp since it's going to be integrated with my HT and I don't want to burn up tubes watching movies and television. The phono preamp could be either tube or solid state. And my focus is on music and not HT even though I'm merging the two.

I appreciate any and all feedback on these models along with any other suggestions or advice that anyone may have to offer. And thank you for taking the time to read my post.
firsttoact
firsttoact OP
8 posts
 
Hi Arnie,
Thank you for your response and suggestion. That must have been a very nice sounding system. I've heard great things about the Citadels along with ARC products.

Audio research has crossed my mind a few times, but there's so many preamp models I don't know where to start. Recently, I came very close to buying the DAC 8, but ended up going with the PS Audio Perfect Wave setup instead. I've just never been happy with the way USB fed into a DAC sounds, so I thought the PS Audio bridge using an ethernet connection might be the way to go.

Well, I only have $5K total to spend now and am trying to figure out where to go from here. I've considered just adding a phono preamp to the K5xemp and then trying to fine tune the system with cables, room treatments, etc. Or upgrading my preamp to another linestage then add a phono preamp down the road, or try to find a good preamp with phono stage. Is it generally better to have an all in one preamp or separate phono pre that can be changed while keeping the same line stage preamp? I have no experience with vinyl so I'm a little lost if you can't tell.

I guess I feel like the preamp is the heart of the system, so I want to be sure I have a good foundation to build from. The Ayre is a solid piece, but I feel like something is missing. Maybe I'm romanticizing my old system and need to spend more time listening to my current one.

Any and all advice is welcome, even if it's that I'm going about this all wrong.
firsttoact OP
8 posts
 
ZD542,
Thanks for your advice, it's just what I'm looking for.

You nailed it on the head when you said I'm looking for an upgrade, I'm just not sure where the best place to invest my money is. And I think I might have complicated it by rolling it in with adding a turntable and integrating 2 channel and HT together, both things I haven't tried before. My new house is smaller and will only accommodate the stereo and HT in one room and I'm a little worried whether it's going to work out. If not the HT will get the axe.

You might be right on about bi-amping the 5As to improve the sound. My previous amps were about twice the power (400w 8ohm) driving 3A sigs and maybe that's where the difference in sound is coming from. Mr. Vandersteen has told me over the phone that his speakers don't need a lot of power and that my previous amps were overkill, but I've noticed that Vandys can really soak up power and don't play as loud as other speakers I've heard. I don't crank up my system often, but every once in a while it's nice.

So now as far as upgrading goes, I'm wondering if maybe I should go ahead and hold onto the Ayre K5xemp and just add a phono stage? Oh and maybe keep my eyes open for a second Dreadnaught if the bi-amping works out. It's funny that you mentioned the Ayre K1 because I'm still kicking myself for passing one up locally that had the phono boards and remote. The seller really bent over backwards to help me buy it, but I was short on money at the time, wasn't sure if I'd buy a turntable, and wanted the convenience of HT pass through.

For full disclosure, the main reason that I'm looking over my system and questioning whether it's up to snuff is because I just recently purchased the 5As. Someone offered them to me for a price that I absolutely could not refuse. All of the electronics were purchased prior to this in anticipation of hooking up my 3A sigs that have been in storage for the past 2 or so years.

With a $5K budget for either used or new equipment, where do you think I'd get the most bang for my buck? If I replace the Ayre with another preamp, then that'd add around another $2K to go into the budget after selling it. I don't want to spend money where it's not needed, but want to give the 5As the opportunity to sound their best.
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
I don't think you can better that preamp unless you go for their top of the line MKR for $18,000. Your current preamp is a sweet, silent preamp with loads of textures. Try it with a RHEA with a good tube selection but I would not get rid of it. You will end up buying it back for more bucks.

I would give some new amps a try. I think that will be your biggest bang for the buck. Those speakers will SING with the right amps. You already have the right preamp.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
At this point, I think it would be a good idea to try using 4 channels of your Theta on your 5's before you do anything. Its just a matter of changing some cables around. I can tell you it will probably make a big difference. For me, I considered the Theta but I ended up going with 2 Ayre V-5's instead. The point is the 2nd amp makes a big difference. That will tell you a lot about where you need to go. If it does work, though, you don't have to get another Dreadnaut for your surrounds and centre. If theatre isn't as important as music, you can get something else that will sound fine for far less money. That will still leave you open to something with your preamp and/or phono preamp. You are correct, though, the preamp is the heart of the system.
firsttoact OP
8 posts
 
Cerrot,
The Ayre KX-R is a beautiful preamp and I hope I'll have the opportunity to compare it to the K5 or try it in my system at some point. Unfortunately it probably won't be until the new model comes out and the used KX-R prices drop to a range within my budget.

Any other phono preamps that you'd recommend in the under $2500 range?

Do you have an amp suggestion for me to possibly try down the road? I'm probably not ready to tackle that now, but appreciate any feedback or experiences that you've had and will keep that in mind.
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