Three 8s to be exact including the new Ayre CX-8 CD Player and the even newer KX-8 / VX-8 Pre/Power amp combo in Barn and ready to play.
Let’s start at the top. If you’re familiar with the products from Boulder, Colorado’s Ayre Acoustics, you’ll recognize some of the tech employed inside the CX-8 CD Player including the company’s single-pass 16x Minimum Phase digital filter, their preferred fully-balanced, zero-feedback analog circuit, and the Equilock gain stage and Diamond output circuitry. Ayre through and through.
The CX-8 is CD Player which means it also houses a DAC and analog outputs, RCA and XLR. You can add the Roon Ready Ethernet/Streaming and Digital Input (AES, USB, Coax, Toslink) options to turn the CX-8 into a one-stop shop for all your digital needs. The review sample arrived with the Ethernet option installed.
The brand new KX-8 Preamplifier, made as the perfect partner for the VX-8 Power Amplifier, shares the chassis with Ayre’s EX-8 Integrated Amplifier as well as the option to load up the KX-8 with Ayre’s digital suite of inputs (Ethernet, USB, AES/EBU, S/PDIF, and two Toslink). The volume control mechanism found in the KX-8 is a version of the company’s true variable gain volume control that brings with it a number of sonic gains including excellent S/N numbers even at low volumes according to the company.
As is the case with all Ayre products, the KX-8 offers balanced and single-ended inputs/outputs and your eyes do not deceive—that is a pair of headphone jacks up front, balanced and single-ended.
The VX-8 Power Amplifier offers 100 Watts into 8 Ohms and 170 Watts into 4 and includes the familiar list of Ayre tech inside including a 100% Zero-Feedback design, fully-balanced discrete circuitry, Double Diamond output stage and Equilock gain stage, and a linear analog power supply.
Loooong time readers with good memories will remember I lived with, very happily I might add, an Ayre AX-5 Twenty Integrated Amp back in my AudioStream days so I’m very much looking forward to the sound of new Ayre! Stay tuned.
Ayre CX-8 CD Player
Price: $5450
Ayre KX-8 Preamplifier
Price: $6400, +1300 for DAC (AES, S/PDIF, USB), +$1000 Ethernet
Ayre VX-8 Power Amplifier
Price: $6800
Company Website: Ayre Acoustics
