AYRE K-3 - Manual (Page 9)

It is normal to listen with the
volume knob advanced farther
than you may be used to with
other equipment.
The volume control offers 1.5 dB steps over most of its
range, allowing you to exactly select the desired listening
level. To maximize its capabilities, it has been designed so
that the volume knob will be between 1 o’clock and 3
o’clock for a loud playback level in most systems.
When a surround-sound processor is used, it is sometimes
useful to know the unity-gain volume setting. Since the
gain of the Ayre K-3x line-stage is 16 dB when driving a
power amplifier with balanced inputs, unity gain occurs
when the volume control is eight steps below the maximum
setting (see illustration).
Since the tape record selector
(“Record”) is controlled
separately from the main
input selector (“Listen”), it is
possible to listen to one source
while recording from another.
The tape record selector (“Record”) controls which source
component is connected to the tape output jacks. It is
recommended that the tape record selector be switched to
the “Off” position except when making a recording. This
will isolate the tape deck’s circuitry from the preamplifier,
providing the highest level of sound quality when listening.
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When using the Ayre K-3x
with an unbalanced power
amplifier, note that the
unity-gain volume setting
will now occur when the
volume control is five steps
below the maximum setting.
Unbalanced power amplifiers with single-ended inputs only
utilize one-half of the Ayre K-3x’s balanced output signal.
The result is a 6 dB gain reduction, requiring that the
volume control be further advanced for an equivalent
listening level. However, certain systems may have
insufficient gain to produce a satisfying listening level, even
with the volume control turned fully up.
If required, the gain of the line stage can be increased 6 dB
to compensate for this loss. Please contact your authorized
Ayre dealer or the factory for information on this procedure.
(It is not recommended to increase the gain of the Ayre
K-3x when using a balanced amplifier, as the level of the
lowest volume setting may be too loud.)
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