Ayre V-5Xe or Bryston 4B-ST

I have not heard that combo, but all things being equal, my experience has been that most people prefer the sound of a zero-feedback amp like the Ayre. The Bryston is an honest product that features very good build quality for the money, but it sounds closed-in and two-dimensional compared to typical zero feedback designs.

PS - I owned a 4B-ST for five years.

If the Ayre is to be purchased used, and you do not need to sell your curent amp first to finance the cost of the Ayre then I would purchase the Ayre and put it into your system for as long as you need to evaluate it fully. If you end up not liking it, as long as you got a fair price for it, you should be able to re-sell it fairly quickly at little to no loss. A lot of "ifs" I know, but otherwise hard to go wrong here.

Raquel,

Your point is well taken, and i tried to allude to it in that i do agree in 1000 setups, i think the Ayre would edge out the Bryston statistically.

I [very personally] find the match that Doug has to be very special and work particularly [shockingly] well with the SF Cremonas.

For example, I had never thought i would like the Krell Evo 402 that much...but when i heard them with the Cremonas, i was stunned. I still would not buy the Evo402...but if i were going for the Cremonas as my speaker...different matter. Same probably for Bryston. I prefer the Gryphon SS sound myself...probably more adaptable, but also it happens to work well in my system.

Raquel,
Good observation about zero negative feedback amplifiers/components. Generally they will sound more open,3D and natural(at least in my experience).Some speakers however seem to need NFB amps to drive them.
Regards,

I have had both Bryston and Ayre amps in my system, albeit with a different pair of speakers (Totem's) and not back-to-back. But both in the same room with the same speakers. I've also heard both amps in other less familiar systems, including Ayre with SF.

In my own system, the Ayre was much, much better than the Bryston ST-series. Of course, Totem speakers have a more aggressive treble than SF speakers do, so my experience is only so relevant in that regard. However...it wasn't just the treble that was more controlled and refined in the Ayre - I preferred it through every part of the range, and did not consider the two to be comparable.

I've heard the V5xe with SF Cremona's, and the sound was really quite excellent - not at all what I'd call warm. The rest of the system was all 5-series Ayre gear, and the sound was wide open, detailed and relaxed. In fact, my only complaint would be that the Ayre can be a bit thin on the bottom.

I don't think that you'll be disappointed in a V5xe - but Rcrerar pointed out, your best bet is to buy one used, compare to the Bryston, and sell the one that loses the shootout.