Ayre Acoustics TK-7150, TK-8150 User Manual

Table of

Optimization and Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Contents

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

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

Setup and Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Controls and Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Numbers and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

In Case of Trouble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Statement of Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

A Place for Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Welcome to

Ayre

To our North American customers, please

be sure to mail your warranty registration

card and photocopy of your original sales
receipt within 30 days in order to extend

the warranty to five years.

Your Ayre KX-R preamplifier 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 KX-R will provide you a lifetime of musical
enjoyment.

Quick Start

The Ayre KX-R is extremely flexible and versatile. However,
many of the features are primarily of interest to the advanced
user.

The information required to get started is contained in the first
three chapters of this manual.

The remaining chapters cover additional information that may
be read at your leisure.

2

Connections and

Installation

The Ayre KX-R is easy to connect and use. The following
guidelines will ensure that the installation goes smoothly.

As shipped from the factory, none of the inputs
are activated. The desired inputs are activated by
assigning them names as described in the
following chapter, “Setup and Configuration”.

Location

The infrared beam of the remote transmitter

will also travel through glass.

When you have a choice, a balanced

connection will offer slightly higher sound

quality than a single-ended connection.

A good location for your preamplifier is in a cabinet or on a
shelf. The receiver for the infrared remote control is mounted
behind the display lens on the front panel. A direct line of sight
from the listening position will ensure the maximum range.

Inputs

The Ayre KX-R offers four pairs of balanced inputs and four
pairs of single-ended inputs. Balanced connections are made via
three-pin XLR connectors, while single-ended connections are
made via RCA connectors. The inputs are labeled “1” through

“8”, and the connectors for the two channels are arranged in a

mirror-image fashion.

3

Make a note of which source components are connected to
which numbered input. The connected inputs will be named
after power is applied to the KX-R preamplifier, as described in
the chapter “Setup and Configuration”.

Main Outputs

Balanced output connectors are provided to achieve the highest
sound quality. Should it be necessary to connect a single-ended
power amplifier, high-quality adapters are available from your
Ayre dealer. Two output connectors per channel are provided,
and may be used simultaneously if desired.

The tape outputs are controlled via a

button on the remote handset. When the

tape outputs are active, the selected source

name will be shown in inverted colors

(black text on a blue background).

4

Using an adapter to connect to a single-ended amplifier will
result in a 6 dB reduction of signal level. If the KX-R is driving
two sets of amplifiers, one balanced and one single-ended, be
sure to compensate for the difference in level.

Tape Outputs

The Ayre KX-R provides two tape outputs per channel,
allowing connection of the selected source component to a
recording device, headphone amplifier, or secondary sound
system. These tape outputs utilize balanced XLR connectors.
Should it be necessary to connect a tape output to a

single-ended component, high-quality adapters are available
from your Ayre dealer.

Turn the tape outputs off unless they are currently being used.
This will completely disconnect the auxiliary components from
the KX-R (including the ground connection), eliminating the
possibility of undesired ground loops.

Unlike the main outputs, the tape outputs will not convert the
signal from a single-ended source to a true balanced signal.
Instead, the “hot” signal will be present on pin 2 of the XLR
and pin1 and 3 will be grounded. This allows a connected
balanced component to internally perform the single-ended to
balanced conversion without the need for adapters.

AyreLink Ports

The AyreLink communication system provides a convenient
way to control your audio system. There are two AyreLink ports
on the rear panel of the KX-R preamplifier. Each port has four
contacts and contains both an input and an output. Both ports
function identically and may be used interchangeably.

AyreLink connections are made with commonly available
two-line telephone line cords using modular (RJ-11)
connectors. (These are the cords that connect the telephone set
to the wall in many countries.) They are readily available in
different lengths and various colors at most electronics stores.

Be sure to use two-line telephone cords to make
AyreLink connections. These can be identified by
the four gold contacts on each connector.
Single-line cords with only two gold contacts will
not function in this application.

5

The linked components may be joined in

any convenient order.

The linked components should be connected in daisy-chain
fashion, connecting each component to another until all of the
linked components have been connected.

When connecting the linked components to form
a chain, be careful not to connect the two ends of
the chain. Closing the chain to form a loop will
cause the AyreLink system not to function.

If there are no AyreLink-equipped source components in your
system, the power status of the KX-R preamplifier may also be
controlled by a trigger output from a source component. In this
case, AyreLink-equipped amplifiers may still be connected to
the KX-R. Connect the AyreLink ports of your amplifiers in
daisy-chain fashion as described above. The unused AyreLink
port on the KX-R preamplifier can then be used as a trigger
input. Additional details can be found in the chapter

“Optimization and Customization”.

AC Power

The KX-R may be plugged directly into an unswitched wall
outlet. Although proprietary RFI (radio-frequency interference)
filtering is built into the preamplifier, in some situations an AC
power-line filter (such as those offered by Ayre) may provide
additional sonic benefits.

6

Setup and

Ayre KX-R

FW Rev. x

Configuration

Due to the large number of available inputs (eight) on the
KX-R, activating only the desired inputs allows for simpler
operation of the unit.

Only the active inputs will be included in the list of available
source components. If no inputs are activated, the preamplifier
will automatically enter the setup mode when AC power is
applied.

Activating Inputs

The desired inputs are activated simply by naming them. When
AC power is first applied to the unit, the front panel will briefly
display “

x

” indicates “Firmware Revision x”, where “x” is a letter from

A” to “Z”.

“

Ayre KX-R” and “FW Rev. x” in sequence, where “FW Rev.

Setup Mode

Set1 Unused

Assuming that none of the inputs have yet been configured, the
unit will then automatically enter the setup mode. The front
panel will then briefly display “

After automatically entering the setup mode, the front panel
will display “

Set1 Unused”.

Setup Mode”.

7

Unused

CD

Phono

DVD

SACD

SSP

Digital

Tuner

Aux

Tape

D/A

CD-R

DAT

Sat
Cable
Video

TV

VCR

LD
PX-R
CX-R
DX-R

P-5xe

C-5xeMP

DX-5

CX-7eMP

QB-9

D-1xe

Input x

Custom x

Refer to your notes describing which source components are
connected to which numbered input.

Use the left-hand knob to scroll to the desired numbered input

Set1 Unused” through “Set8 Unused”).

(”

Press the right-hand button to navigate to the next menu level.
The front panel will display “

Name Unused”.

Use the right-hand knob to scroll through the list of available
names (shown at the left). Selecting “

Unused” disables that

input, while selecting any other name from the list will activate
that input. Select a name that describes the component
connected to the chosen input.

When the desired name has been selected, press the left-hand
button to navigate to the previous menu level. The front panel
will show that the selected name has been assigned to the
chosen input.

8

Exiting Setup

Repeat the process of naming the remaining desired inputs.
When all of the desired inputs have been named, press the
left-hand button to exit the setup mode. The front panel will
briefly display “

Exiting Setup”. Then the unit will return to

standby, indicated by the green LED in the front panel.

Advanced users may wish to use additional sophisticated input
configuration options, including the creation of custom names
for source components. Please refer to the chapter

“Optimization and Customization” for further details.

9

Controls and

Operation

To achieve the highest possible sonic performance, the KX-R
uses custom-designed rotary switches with solid-silver contacts
for both the volume control and the input selector. These
military-spec controls provide unsurpassed signal purity, as well
as a virtually unlimited lifespan.

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These rotary switches are actuated with precision stepping
motors using aerospace “fly-by-wire” technology. Turning one
of the knobs generates pulses via contactless optical encoders. A
microprocessor decodes these commands and sends control
signals to operate the stepping motors, resulting in a reassuring
audible “thunk” as the switches are rotated.

The two front-panel buttons employ contactless, sealed
piezoelectric force sensors that will never wear. Please note that
the buttons do not move as they sense the applied force.

The piezoelectric buttons respond to a normal pressing action
or a light tap that produces a relatively rapid change in force.
They are not “touch-sensitive”, nor will they respond to a
slowly increasing pressure.

All of the front panel controls are duplicated on the included
remote control handset. This handset also includes additional
functions that are less frequently used, as well as the ability to
control an Ayre disc player.

Standby/Operate

There is a small green LED at the right-hand side of the
front-panel display. This is illuminated when the preamplifier
is in standby mode. The unit may be toggled between standby
and operate modes either with the left-hand button or via the
remote control handset.

Input Select

The desired source component may be selected with either the
left-hand knob or the remote control handset, and the assigned
name is displayed on the front panel.

Although there are eight total inputs on the Ayre KX-R, only
the activated (named) inputs will be listed among the available
sources. This greatly simplifies operation of the unit.

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