Ayre P-5x Owner's Manual

Ayre P-5x

Owner’s Manual

A y r e

MC/MM Phono Preamplifier

Table of

Contents

Welcome to Ayre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Connections and Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Controls and Operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Information for Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Numbers and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Statement of Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

A Place for Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Welcome to

Ayre

Please send in your warranty

registration card so we can

stay in contact with you.

Your Ayre P-5x offers a significant advance in the
musical performance of high-fidelity equipment.
The warmth and immediacy of a live performance
are apparent from the first listening. The
combination of superb resolution and a natural,
relaxed quality will draw you into the music, time
and time again.

This level of performance has been implemented
using the highest level of workmanship and
materials. You can be assured that the Ayre P-5x
will provide you a lifetime of musical enjoyment.

2

Connections and

Installation

The Ayre P-5x phono preamplifier is easy to hook
up and use. The following guidelines will ensure
that the installation goes smoothly.

Location

It is recommended to maintain

a distance of 10" to 20"

(25 cm to 50 cm) to other

components to minimize hum

levels.

The balanced configuration

yields maximum sonic

performance with minimum

noise and hum.

A good location for your phono preamplifier is in a
cabinet or on a rack or shelf. Please note that the
high-gain circuitry required to amplify the low-level
signal from a phono cartridge may be sensitive to
the magnetic fields from transformers in other
equipment.

Inputs

As the phono cartridge is an inherently balanced
device, the Ayre P-5x offers balanced inputs via
three-pin XLR connectors. Since most tone arms
and/or turntables are not currently equipped with
XLR connectors, there are two choices for making
the proper connection:

3

A y r e

Boulder, Colorado USA

S.N.

P-5x Phono Preamplifier

Output

Gain Settings Inside

Input

47k

100

1000

47k

1000

100

Input

BalBal

Output

UnbalUnbal

1) Use custom phono cables with XLR connectors at
the phono preamplifier end and the appropriate
connector (RCA or DIN, depending on the
particular installation) at the turntable end. This is
the preferred solution and offers the highest level of
sound quality, or;

2) Use the existing cables with RCA connectors to
connect to the unbalanced inputs of the P-5x.

A small toggle switch near the input connectors
configures the circuit for either the balanced or
unbalanced inputs.

50/60 Hertz
10 W Max

Volts

Note that the level of the

unbalanced outputs will be

6 dB lower than the balanced

outputs.

4

Only one set of inputs (balanced or
unbalanced) may be connected at a
time.

Outputs

The Ayre P-5x offers one pair of balanced (XLR)
outputs and one pair of unbalanced (RCA) outputs.
Although both sets of outputs are always active
regardless of which input (balanced or unbalanced)
is used, it is normally recommended to only use one
set of outputs at a time.

AC Power

The phono preamplifier draws

only a small amount of power

and is designed to be left on at

all times.

Connect the Ayre P-5x to an unswitched AC power
source. The front panel LED will glow blue to
indicate that the unit is powered. The best sound
quality is normally achieved when the P-5x is
plugged directly into the wall outlet, without using
any power strips or power line conditioners.

5

Controls and

Operation

The Ayre P-5x offers the ultimate in flexibility and
performance for all types of phono cartridges.
Low-noise FET circuitry provides ultra-quiet
operation even with the lowest output cartridges.
Both gain and loading are easily adjustable to
accommodate both moving coil and moving magnet
designs.

Setting the Gain

Ayre’s exclusive zero-feedback design allows for a
wide range of signal gain, without the need for
step-up transformers or extra gain stages. Changing
the gain is easily accomplished with jumper blocks
inside the unit.

Disconnect the AC power before
removing the cover of the unit.

To access the gain adjustments, remove the 10
screws on the top cover using a 5/64" (2 mm) hex
wrench.

6