New Ayre MX-4 stereo power amp and new integrated

-- The KX-R is in the early planning stages. If all goes well, it will be shipping by late summer. If things don't go smoothly, it could be the fall before it is shipping. We don't know the price yet, but it is safe to say that it will be significantly more expensive than the K-1xe

-- We will continue to manufacture the K-1xe as long as there is a meaningful demand for it.

-- E-mail sucks as a way to communicate with customers. We tried it when we first put up our website, and it was a disaster. One problem is that it takes about 10x as long to type an answer as to tell the same thing on the phone. The next problem is that most people ask the wrong question. ("What is the peak output current of your V-1xe amplifier?") Then it takes three more e-mails to find out what they really want to know. ("Will the V-1xe drive my Humma-Junga speakers well?") It ended up taking over 50% of our Sales Manager's time with no visible benefit, so we just dropped it.

We participate on the various forums for two reasons:

a) There is so much mis-information on the internet ("Ayre is introducing a new MX-4 stereo amplifier!") that it is worthwhile to try and correct it.

b) It still takes longer to type an answer, but (unlike and e-mail) at least more than one person will read it.

Thanks for the information, Charles!

Keep up the good work, and I hope your injuries have completely healed.

Best of health to you!

Charles: to be honest I can´t tell you on which side I saw the mistake. I remember a picture showing a silver coloured MR-X with an acrylic top stating underneath the picture "Inside view of the Ayre MX-4"). The pages I´ve screened for show-reports were: 6moons, stereophile, stereotimes, soundstage, ultraaudio. Hope this helps.
AND: thanks for the hint you gave me once on audio asylum to tape the cooling devices of the V-5xe. Have you got another tip for K-1xe and C-5xe - I´ve just bought them to use them together with Aesthetix Atlas power amp.

Frank,

Be sure that the AC power cords are the correct polarity. (This happens automatically with US cords, but the Schuko cords can be inserted with either polarity.) Use wood blocks under all of your components. Use wood blocks to keep all of your cables (power, interconnect, and speaker) off the floor. Use balanced interconnects. Use a Marigo mat when playing the discs. (The thinnest one will usually work well, but sometimes will cause some hiccups.) Don't connect a video system to your audio system. Bi-wire if your speakers will allow it.

Good luck,
Charles Hansen

Thanks Charles. Appreciate your input (as always). Will add additionally a ModWright LS 36.5 to my system to get the full tube flavour. The Cardas wood blocks are already in use as well as Stillpoints universal resonance dampers. Do you still recommend the Cardas Golden Reference to be used in conjunction with your gear ?
Rgds.,
Frank