Ayre K1 Preamp with Phono, Power Supply, and Remote (220V Version)

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General:

Incredibly built solid state preamp from Ayre. 

Highly reviewed by Stereophile back in the late 1990's.

$7100 MSRP back in the day which is now well over $10k today.

Featuring a separate power supply to ensure the lowest noise possible.

Currently configured for 220V operation but If you're in the USA we can provide a step-up transformer at no extra cost.

We serviced this unit by replacing a few suspect capacitors and it's now working beautifully.

Your purchase includes a power cord and the high-quality metal remote.

Functional Notes:

• The phono stage in currently configured for use with MC (Moving-Coil) phono cartridges
• Phono Gain 10 ohm, Phono Load 100 ohm
• Phono inputs are balanced only. Special adapters or tonearm cables must be used to properly interface your turntable (See Manual).
• There is a pop when engaging mute on Direct Coupled amplifiers.

Specs:

Full-function, solid-state control preamplifier. Maximum voltage gain: 16dB (line); adjustable, 40dB, 50dB, 60dB (phono stage). Input impedance: 10k ohms (line, each phase); adjustable, 50k ohms (default), 100, 250, 500, 1000 ohms supplied—other values available (phono). Output impedance: 300 ohms (each phase). Power consumption: 20W.

Dimensions: 

18" W by 5.5" H by 11" D (main unit); 13" W by 3" H by 8" D (power supply).

Weight:

45 lbs (20kg).

Review:

https://www.stereophile.com/solidpreamps/609/index.html

Recommended Cables:

Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Better

Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Best

Kimber Kable - Phono Interconnects - Better

Kimber Kable - Flagship Tonearm Interconnects - Best

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Better

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Best

Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Better

Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Best

The SkyFi Testing Process for Preamplifiers:

We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure that there are no signs of heat stress or damage. Capacitors are checked for telltale signs of predictive failure including bulging, shrunken wrappers, or physical leakage. We also inspect the PCB’s for discoloration from resistors or transistors that may have been running hot. On vintage units we often spot check select capacitors for value and ESR.

When we first power on a preamplifier we connect its RCA output to a Sencore PA81 Power Analyzer which simulates real world loading conditions and gives us an oscilloscope interface. The first order of business is checking that the volume control works smoothly throughout its entire range with acceptable channel balance. This is accomplished by feeding a 1KHz sine wave into one of the preamp’s line level inputs while monitoring the preamp’s output on an oscilloscope. We then switch to a 1KHz square wave to test the tone controls, loudness function, and filters where applicable. During this step we are watching for equal alteration of the test signal by both channels. This also helps us identify dirty controls that will need treatment. Once the basic line stage functions are verified, we test each input individually. This is especially important for devices that use relays to select their sources. If the preamp is equipped with a phono stage we test that as well. We use an inverse RIAA filter which allows us to feed a reference test signal into the phono input with the proper RIAA equalization and level. A square wave or sine sweep is used to verify that the device’s phono stage is faithfully reproducing the RIAA curve. If the preamp under test has balanced inputs and/or outputs these are tested as well.

We finish up our bench testing with a listening test with our bench amplifier and reference speakers. During this test we check for hum or hiss that may not have shown up in earlier testing. We also check that all of the tone controls and filters perform as expected. If the preamplifier has remote control functions these are also tested. Preamps with tube circuits or complicated power supply topologies are connected at our long term test rig for extended stress testing under real world conditions.