Ayre Acoustics K1 Xe

For auction is a Ayre K1 pre-amp. This is another piece that I selling for the widow of a friend that passes.

This unit just returned from Ayre, being refurbished, so it is in tip top, perfect working order.It has all of the latest upgrades and is in perfect working order

Cosmetically it is in great shape with a couple very minor marks on the top and sides (see pictures).

The unit comes with remote control, and a pair of XLR/RCA phono adapters for the phono input stage, original box and packing and manual.

This unit retailed for $7,100.00 new in the late 90’s, and will be a steal for someone looking for a great preamp.

General:
Highly reviewed by Stereophile back in the late 1990's.
Featuring a separate power supply to ensure the lowest noise possible.

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).

Unit is wired for 120V operation

Below is an excerpt from a "Home Audio Equipment Review by Marc Mickelson that explains the upgrades that this unit has:

The "e" in all of the current Ayre products stands for "Evolution," the name of the upgrade that represents product designer Charles Hansen's latest thinking mostly on the proper design of a power supply for audio purposes. The Evolution upgrade was introduced in late 2004 and was applied to all of Ayre's products. It consisted of what Ayre calls "Dynamic Power," a term for a combination of proprietary technologies used on the AC side of each product's power supply. These include additional RFI filtering of the AC mains, increased peak current delivery, and filtering of rectifier switching noise. The effects? According to Hansen, a blacker background, greater dynamic contrasts, improved resolution, and a more dimensional, realistic presentation.
Besides the inclusion of Dynamic Power, the K-1xe also received an additional 10dB of gain for its optional phono stage. There were no other changes to the V-1xe. The cost to upgrade is $500 for newer units with the "x" in their model designations. Even the earliest pre-"x" units can be fully upgraded for $1850. This steep amount represents an actual upgrade cost of $350; there was a price increase of $1500 on each unit when the "x" versions were introduced roughly five years ago.