Recommendation on power amp

Newtoncr congrats on making a choice to suit yourself.

I think some posters, particularly some of the sales people, think they are the complete authority on what is good and what is not. Often someone points to their knowledge and experience. Let’s not get confused here, they are smelling money here on the forums and are trying to get a sale. I don’t really think they care what might work or what might sound good or what might fit within a budget...that is for the buyer to figure out! In fact I find the interference from them so tasteless and arrogant, I would not buy anything from them.

Audiotroy I guess you don't know me well enough for I could have been a customer of yours but again based on your many advertisement posts you lost this customer. Same with a local car dealer, based on their tactics I drove 100 miles and bought the same car and it was several hundred dollars more but that really wasn't the point.
I wish you luck in your business it just wouldn't be with me.

I'd also look at a pair of Bryston 28B3 monos.

@newtoncr

Not sure if it’s too late for you to demo the Naim NAP 500 DR power amp with a separate external Naim 555 PS DR power supply unit. I know they are above your budget but a used ones can be had for $20k and less. The NAP 500 DR & the 555 PS DR external PSU go together. These are two-stacked amp. Highly musical. Highly recommended! These are Naim’s 500 series, which is top of the line series before you get to the Naim Statement series, which is cost-no-object design gears and one of the absolute best musical sounding gears I’ve ever heard and owned regardless of price or SS or tubes etc.

The Naim NAP 500 DR power amp and other Naim’s 500 series gears use some component parts that are used in their Statement series gears.

Especially when you partner the NAP 500 DR/555 PS DR combo with Naim’s own NAC 552 linestage analog preamp + 555 PS DR external PSU and the Naim ND 555 digital network streamer/DAC + 555 PS DR external PSU you will be treated with a whole new level of musicality from what you currently have now. I know these Naim 500 series gears are really expensive but they are extraordinary and highly musical sounding gears. 

At least you should highly consider the Naim NAP 500 DR/555 PS DR power amp/external PSU for your KEF Blades.
They will sound really good together. Naim sound profile tends to be on a slightly warmer side of neutral with full rich & punchy sound but nothing like tubey sound. Naim gears have excellent PRAT (Pace Rhythm and Timing & speed) yet punchy and very organic natural sound. they simply don't sound at all. They just sound like real natural music and not reproduced sound.

If you care about how your music sounds and want the best musicality I would highly recommend the Naim 500 series gears If you can't afford their Statement gears. Well....Naim Statement gears (NAP S1 monoblock amps + NAC S1 linestage analog preamp) are way too expensive for a lot of people. These are cost-no-object design gears. The Naim NAP 500 DR power amp + 555 PS DR external PSU are expensive but be on the lookout for a used ones. 

I've heard the all Naim 500 series gears, which include the NAP 500 DR/555 PS DR power amp/external PSU, paired with KEF Blades before and they sounded fantastic together. 

Thank you caphill,
i have already the purchased the Ayre MX-r twenties .
i have not listened to the Naim.
next time I upgrade I will keep them in mind.

I owned the VX-R Twenty for several years driving Vandersteen model 7 Mk2 not a warm speaker at all - magical sound and ayre amps competes well above the $20 K range. Some would say IF you can live with 200 W, it sounds better than the MX-R. I have spent some enjoyable time listening to Blades driven by VTL, quite lovely sound.

might I ask why no home Ayre demo ? I know more than a few Ayre dealers who would send me home with gear....is there perhaps a bit more to the story ????

BTW, Ayre support and engineering and build quality if fanatical. I upgraded to the Vandersteen amps but the Ayre are no slouch....

OP sorry I just saw you bought the MXR-20 series...OMG you will love them and they sound like magic ten minutes in out of standby
have fun !!!!!!!
Jim

The local ayre dealer here would not offer thr home demo I requested .i was surprised cause I was not new to him and had bought other stuff for him. I was shocked he wouldn’t provide that service . His excuse was someone “ earlier had misused the privilege “ I replied to him saying it was not a privilege but a service he should provide if he wanted customers to buy from him. He was also very pushy with his favorite brands like chord, and gave me the impression that if he didn’t sell it they were not good . And he didn’t sell kef. 

OP none of the Ayre dealers I know carry Chord...but no matter, you have fantastic amps and a great company behind them !!!! enjoy them in good health
best
Jim

Rs507 we are sorry that you feel that way, and you are basing everything you know about us about what we write on audiogon, it is not the same to actually visit a place and talk to the owners  in person.

Caphill we are also big Naim fans we don't have a 500 stack we have a 300 stack with Nac 282/high cap, and a NDX 2/XPS stack sounds pretty amazing, Personally we don't think the OP would have gone that way as Naim tends to work best as a system approach.

Newtoncr, congradulations on the new Ayre amps, we would love to know how in the demo you got the Krell 575 were bright sounding? They are just the opposite, we  had our XD 300 off for a few days while redoing our rack and it sounded very flat and a bit harsh when it was just turned on, the next day back to smooth and silky so did you demo these at a dealer or at your home? Where the amplifiers the XD versions? and how long were they warmed up? At this point is it moot as you got the Ayre amps which will have their strengths in resolution over the Krells, but are way more expensive with less volume capability. 

Also sorry to hear about your "dealer" that wouldn't lend you a set of amps, that seems particularly rude considering you have purchased from him before. 

Good luck and let us know how the new amps work out.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ

@audiotroy, I listened to them in the showroom , the xd 300. He has had them running for a while for me to audition.
my impression was the sound was too overbearing for my taste. It seemed to be on steroids.
thanks for your input really appreciate it .

I've been in HR for so long and can say that a leopard can't change its spots, just my perspective.

@transnova  I have heard rumors that the Blades 2 can fit in small rooms, sort of an audio urban legend. Would you mind taking a look at my virtual system and tell me if I would be crazy to out the Blade 2 into this room (for only a few years). Currently my idea is to put in the Paradigm Person3F with the Anthem STR DSP capable preamp However, the Blades would be my ultimate speaker.

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/7605

@yyzsantabrabara
My room is quite big , open design 32 by 24 ft with 20 ft ceiling .
saw ur LS50s. One of my friends and guide Barry Oder made a system matching Jl Audio subs with the LS50s. He said they were a great match .

http://www.soundoctor.com/about.htm

He he was raving about for about a fraction of the price you could get very similar sound .
you can contact him if you are interested . He can help with bass integration with room treatment and set up .