Subwoofer for Ayre AX-7e?

I’ve owned your integrated amp. It’s awsome with a pair of Vandersteen 1’s. The bass is satisfying in most small to mid sized rooms like I assume you have. I base that on your system.  I’d go give them a listen for sure. 

great thread guys. It's funny, because it made me think of what system I'd put together for a second room in the house.  I'd probably get the Vandersteen 1's and then a Belles Aries integrated or another used Ayre AX7e with Audioquest Rocket speaker cables and then a good source.  

The cool thing about the 1's is that they scale up really well.  I have a friend who has them and has put them in his main system on occasion (all top Audio Research ref gear) and marveled at how good they sounded.  To me that's a wonderful test to see how good a speaker really is.  I loved those old Bud Fried designs.  Thanks for bringing up that name.  

taww, I was just saying it would make a great little system.  My main system is a pair of Vandersteen Quatro CT's in Audi Havana Black, Ayre AX5/20, Ayre QX5 DAC/HP AMP/streamer, Mac mini rebuilt by Steven Nugent with Paul Hynes LPS and Steve's silver umbilical cord.  I use an Audio Quest TOTL WEL balanced interconnect, AQ Diamond USB cable and AQ Castlerock speaker cables.  I use an AQ Niagara with Basis cable for power distribution.

Upgrades on the way or about to happen include a new The Memory Player https://www.thememoryplayer.net with the built in DAC and Sam is installing a headphone amp/jack for my Empire Ears custom Phantom's.  That will replace the Ayre QX5 adn the Mac mini.  I will then be thinking about the new Vandersteen's mono blocks either run directly from TMP or with a top preamp.  I also love the new to US Gryphon integrated amps, so who knows.  

Constellation makes some great gear too.  My buddy loves his.

I have experience with all of those recently.  That includes the Gryphon.  I may be able to help you find a great AX5/20 used.  feel free to email me if you want to.  [email protected]. 

the thing that folks really need to keep in mind when dealing with subs is how well they mate wiht their speakers.  This is a very difficult thing to do since there are just so many variables.  What works for some may not work for others.  I love how the Vandersteen EQ will smooth the response in any set up, plus his amp will take on the same sound as your main amp, but will they sound coherent with your speakers?  They may or they may not.  

The same thing goes with anyone else subs.  I have found so many folks using subs to just give more bass in a system.  All too often the subs can be heard as that's what so many want. My personal feeling is that you will never hear a sub person say.  This is why I feel strongly that any sub really needs to be used by overlapping an octave with the main speakers similar to the way a crossover may work.  

of course there are other good options.  We just happen to be vocal. I have enjoyed many speakers out there in various set ups.  I like the Maggies a lot.  I like the ET's for the price if I'm the only one listening.  In the upper ranges I like the Tidal's, Rockports, Kharma's and a few others.  Most to me in the upper ranges are so large that they raise the soundstage and don't sound good to me.  

What any in the Vandy crowd will also say is to go listen for yourself to various speakers.  Then use YOUR ears and don't listen to what a sales person may or may not be telling you.  Make sure to take the remote away from the sales person as they will OFTEN raise and lower the volume DURING the song to show off dynamics etc...  

Bring your own music adn don't just listen to what they have hand chosen to show off the best of the speakers.  Listen for the worst of them.  Can you be happy with the trade offs the maker has had to make.  All speakers, regardless of cost, will have a trade off.  

Vandy's to me are a great speaker and in the various price ranges are the ones that I have chosen to put my money on.  Since it's my money, why would I get something that I didn't feel was the best in my price range?  It works great with the zero feedback, high current Ayre AX5/20 I have.  I had the 7e, but the 5/20 is a different beast all together.  

OP can buy whatever he or she wants and should.  That's fine, but when posting on a board, they will get so many options and opinions and it's up to them to figure out what way to go.  Subs are such a slippery slope for all the reason's posted already in this thread.  For so many who do upgrades or add a sub or change cables or power filters etc.... they need to figure out if it's worth the money and can they get something better that would sound better than the upgrade.  

How much will a pair of good subs cost?  If OP were to sell their speakers and then add the cost of a good set of subs, then how much would they have.  Then they can go figure out what full range speaker they could purchase that would work wiht their current system.  Often times this is the best way to go, but not always.  

I'm a huge Vandersteen fan since I have spent a fair amount of money with them over the last 5 years. I feel blessed daily for being able to own them.  If I were to consider the 5k purchase of a set of new subs, I have to ask myself, is this the best place to put 5k into the system.  This is just my thought process and I know most don't do it this way.  

Oh, my post didn't come off the way I wanted it to I guess.  I didn't take your post negatively at all.  I agree that we all have our likes and dislikes.  I always warn folks that on boards we all tout what we purchase or want to, lol.  It's all good.

Thanks.  Sorry it's taken me so long, but I had surgery on Thursday and am in the rehab hospital for another week or more, LOL>>>>>terrible wifi here too, lol.

I have a feeling that the new Vandersteen mono blocks will be too much for me to resist, so I'll probably have to sell my Ayre AX5/20 in addition to selling my Ayre QX5 DAC/Server/Digital pre.....it will be strange not being an Ayre owner if all comes to pass, lol....:)