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Feedback on Ayre and Aesthetix with Vandersteen 5As

Hello,

I am looking to upgrade my two channel system. This will also be part of home theater setup. (75% two channel listening vs 25% movies). Currently I am running Vandersteen 5a (non-carbon) with a Bryston amp (9bsst) and Marantz preamp (8801).  I have narrowed it down to two brands, Aesthetix - Atlas & Calypso or Ayre-  KX-5 twenty & VX-5 twenty. I do not have a local dealer for these brands but I was able to listen to both while out of town hooked up to the Vandersteen 5a carbons. They both sounded amazing. I felt the Aesthetix had a warmer laid back sound and the Ayre had a more revealing, forward sound. I am looking for some feedback on your experiences with these brands or things I should be thinking about. Both retail for around the same cost but I am able to get Aesthetix combo for less. My listening preferences are all over the board from classic rock (Pink Floyd, CSN, Elton John) to jazz and classical/acoustic music.

Thanks
Rob
robertkat

Showing 2 responses by jafant

jafant
18,774 posts
 
Rob-

both Ayre and Aesthetix are sonic matches for Vandy speakers. At this level, get as much demo time, as possible. Most important of all-which cables/cords are you planning to use?
jafant
18,774 posts
 
Excellent discussion guys. I like SS for both electric guitar and bass.
Otherwise, tubes are good choices. Be sure to mention your cabling.
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