I've had two five string Sires, a V7 Vintage and a V9. Excellent basses and loads of options on them, so you can really experiment if you've never had active or maple boards or whatever before. I felt I "needed" a 5 string then felt I didn't... The preamps are great, the maple boarded vintage V7 is really nice for snappy, trebly sounds and the pre let's you roll that off and make it thunderously deep... There's nothing not to like, apart from the headstock.