Ayre MR-X monoblocks - how good are they??

Looking at your system, I think your can look at other areas to improve the sound first. Phono stage first, rack second, amp third. I really like Einstein phono, rumor has it ARC PH7 is also very good. I like GP Monaco stand, but I am sure there are other good stands for less. If you don't mind owning tube amps again, I find BAT 150SE hard to beat.

I was also looking at Ayre MX-R, and KX-R in fact. I just listened to them again yesterday driving Avalon Isis. Again, I was not impressed like my last audition when MX-R was paird with Spectral top pre amp. It was cold and sterile, very hi-fi soudning. I will arrange to listen to both in my own system to better assess the sound, but my reference is BAT 150SE and SF Line 3SE+, both are highly musical, detail, and throw a big, wide, deep soundstage.

As good as solid state is, I am afraid tube still rules.

I'm not quite sure how comparing the Ayre combo at a dealer versus your home system with completely different components qualifies you to make any determination one way or another. It would have been much more useful if you waited for an in-home audition to at least feign fairness before making proclamations.

Hello Semi-

Which dealer did you get to listen to the Ayre/Avalon combo at?

Bianci

>>As good as solid state is, I am afraid tube still rules<<

Not true.

There are dozens of low sensitivity and/or low impedance speakers that cannot be driven by tube amplifiers. Some will suck the life out of even the most powerful tube amp.

Good luck with those Apogee Scintillas and your tube amplifier. Listen to the amp gasp for breath, sputter, spit, and wheeze trying to drive them.

An amplifier's performance is largely dependent on the load to which it is connected.

Tubes rule with certain speakers but so does solid state.

To believe otherwise is simply disingenuous.

Downunder,

Just this past Thursday I listened to a dealers set up with the Ayre MX-R monos paired with the Ayre K-1x preamplifier.

The Ayre equipment were driving the Reference Grand Veena 3As which are, according to Harry Pearson of TAS, "extremely revealing" of upstream components.
The dealer is well aware of this fact also, he knows the speaker and designers well.

I brought my own Lps, none of which are so labeled or called audiophile, just some exceptionally well recorded vintage Jazz and some great Rock.

Vocals were exceptional,nothing riding on top of them,human sounding and unprocessed. There was a very nice sense of natural sounding timbre with delicate microdynamics in acouple of tracks that I noticed.

Lots of air within the sound stage. And yes, the musicians and singers had a pulse.
This equipment can also play Rock exceptionally well also.

Over all what I heard that afternoon was impressive.
Though I'm shopping for speakers not electronics.

The Ayre equipment was no doubt a very good match for these speakers.
Also I felt they out classed many other solid state equipment I have heard over the last few months.

I have to throw this one in.
The Reference Grand Veena are a STUPID GOOD DEAL...my goodness.
I have to listen again, with a dealer recommended 845 base vacuum tube monos.