Ayre AX-5 Twenty
The AX-5 Twenty marries exceptional transparency with a big, powerful yet tonally easy presentation, uncovering low-level texture without glare. Its 125W-per-channel, fully balanced design delivers authoritative dynamics, precise imaging, and immersive depth with demanding speakers. David Price admired its articulate grip and insight into complex mixes, making it a commanding analogue integrated.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
95/100
Build Quality
91/100
Features Connectivity
83/100
Value for Money
85/100
Pros
Exceptionally transparent and detailed, revealing low-level textures and complex mix information without brittleness.
Powerful, composed dynamics with convincing impact and no reported congestion at high levels.
Highly organized, immersive soundstage with stable image placement and impressive depth.
Cons
Bass is strong and weighty, but may not match the ultimate stop-start tightness of cost-no-object solid-state rivals with difficult speakers.
Input setup and three-character custom naming feel clunky, while the display is dated by modern standards.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 95/100
The AX-5 Twenty is described as exceptionally transparent, controlled and musically natural rather than overtly characterful. Reviewers heard a powerful, composed presentation with unusually clear low-level detail, convincing tonal textures, broad dynamic range and stable, immersive imaging.
Transparency Resolution
96/100
SoundStage Solo found transparency “in spades,” describing an extremely quiet presentation that removed apparent sonic grunge and revealed previously inaudible details. Hi-Fi News likewise heard exceptional insight into complex mixes, with the ability to hear into recordings in a way few integrated amplifiers manage.
Tonal Balance Musicality
94/100
Hi-Fi News describes an even-handed amplifier that preserves textures and dynamics without adding obvious coloration, while its clean illumination avoids tonal brightness. SoundStage Solo found the sound relaxed and effortless but never bland, with natural timing, fully formed images and fatigue-free long-term listening.
Dynamics
95/100
Both reviews report considerable headroom and composure, from convincing low-level listening through to very high playback levels without compression or congestion. The AX-5 Twenty drove demanding speakers authoritatively, delivering startling bass-drum impact and climaxes with sustained emotional force; Hi-Fi News did note that bass was not always as stop-start tight as the very best cost-no-object solid-state alternatives.
Soundstage Imaging
94/100
Hi-Fi News heard a clean, architectural stage in which instruments were firmly and precisely placed, with notably convincing depth. SoundStage Solo found images fully formed and the acoustic space naturally diffuse rather than artificially spotlit, approaching the coherence of a live performance.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
91/100
Reviewers praise the excellent finish, sturdy construction and machined-aluminum casework. SoundStage Solo’s well-travelled review sample remained immaculate and fault-free, while the original AX-5 review also highlighted exceptional binding posts and a substantial backlit metal remote.
Features Connectivity
83/100
The AX-5 Twenty provides six analogue line inputs—four balanced XLR and two single-ended RCA—plus a single pair of speaker outputs and AyreLink control ports. It is a deliberately analogue-focused integrated amplifier, without onboard digital conversion, streaming, phono facilities or headphone output.
Value for Money
85/100
At $12,950 when reviewed, and now commonly listed at a considerably higher price, the AX-5 Twenty occupies a demanding premium category. The reviews strongly praise its performance and construction, but they do not directly assess whether it represents especially strong value against similarly priced rivals.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Power Output
- 125 watts per channel continuous into 8 ohms 250 watts per channel continuous into 4 ohms
- Gain
- 26 dB
- Input Impedance
- 1 MΩ unbalanced inputs 2 MΩ balanced inputs (1 MΩ per phase)
- Frequency Response
- DC – 250 kHz
- Power Consumption
- 48 watts in low-current consumption mode 230 watts in operating mode, no signal
- Dimensions
- 17.25″ W x 18.75″ D x 4.875″ H (44cm x 48cm x 12cm)
- Weight
- 48 pounds (22 kg)
Manufacturer's Description — Ayre
Featuring Ayre’s Double Diamond output stage, our exclusive EquiLock circuitry, and a Shallco solid-silver contact switch for gain control, this fully-discrete, fully-balanced, zero-feedback integrated amplifier provides a complete solution for your modern music system.
The key to perfecting the AX-5 was to incorporate the Variable Gain Technology (VGT) of the award-winning Ayre KX-R preamplifier into the power amplifier section. The addition of ultra-transparent FET input selector switches completed the transformation of a basic power amplifier into a compact one-box solution which will become the heart of your high-performance audio system.
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Authorized dealers for Ayre AX-5 Twenty
- Absolute Audio - Canada — in-store — Calgary, Alberta, Canada (website)
- Ajasom — online and in-store — Amadora, Lisboa, Portugal (website)
- Akustik Strauss — in-store — Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bayern, Germany (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Audible Elegance — online and in-store — Cincinnati, Ohio, United States (website)
- Audio Advice — online and in-store — Raleigh, North Carolina, United States (website)
- Audio Advisor — online and in-store — Michigan, United States (website)
- Audio Artisans — in-store — Bozeman, Montana, United States (website)
- Audio Connection — online and in-store — Verona, New Jersey, United States (website)
- Audio Magic — online and in-store — Preston, Victoria, Australia (website)
and 41 more verified dealers