Has anyone compared Ayre K-1x to Pass X-1

bump---- has anyone done this ???

I have not compaired the pass X1 to the Ayre K-1x but have compaired the new Superphon Revelation 111 to the Pass X1. the Superphon 111 in my system was superior. Placement of instruments dead on, Huge soundstage, bass tight and deep with Lush Mids and I can go on and on. The Superphon is by far the closes SS preamp that I have heard that if you did not know better you would swear it was a tube preamp. It has the warmth of tubes and as dynamic as the best SS I have heard. At $1900 here on Gon thru Neil at Clearsound I can honestly say this one is a keeper. The search is OVER.

Hi, this is my first post but I agree with what Faziod said about the Superphon Rev3. I have compared it with my current preamp the Audio Research Ref2 in my system. Don't let the price fool you. This is one fine piece. It reminds me of a CAT preamp that I used to own in its ability to draw me into music.

who would buy from a "flake" maunufacture ?

let me know if you want to move your arc ref2...

Why is Superphon a "flake" manufacturer? Can you enlighten
me on the subject? I had no previous experience with this company. The ref2 remains in my collection of audio equipment..I regret selling the CAT pre..

http://audiocircle.com/circles/viewtopic.php?t=18403&highlight=superphon

they are not exactly known for their customer service.... i guess there are a couple out there...

Damn, what a cluster_f%$k this Stan Warren and his Superphon is! Thanks for the warning

Hello,
I thought I’d throw in my .02 about my experiences with my Pass Labs X-1. I bought a refurbished (and spotless, a 9+ here at Audiogon) X-1 from Reno HiFi and could not be happier. It truly was (and still is) goose bump moments when I’m listening. My soundstage has exploded. The music is coming from behind my speakers, to the left, to the right, and in front of. I guess that’s what they mean when they say your “speakers disappear”. There is more “space” between the instruments. I can't honestly tell if it is "coloring" the sound at all. If it is, I sure can't pinpoint the effect.
My previous preamps were a Belles 21A and a Creek 5350R. The Belles was quite nice, but the Pass is definitely a big step up. The Belles did have a more “tubey” sound.(If I discuss why I didn’t like that “tubey” sound, a posting war will probably follow, ha!)
I’m sure my X-1 will be in my system for a long time and I’ll upgrade the other components once or even twice before I even consider upgrading the X-1.
CDP: MF A5
Amp: MF a308cr
Speakers: Spendor 9
All interconnects & cables: Analysis Plus Oval 9

Tgyeti, I just got a new-in-box X1 for a decent price. Haven't received it yet. What are your impressions of the high and low end extension, transient speed, and clarity of the music? I've heard the X2.2 and thought it was pretty darned good in these areas without giving away any musical realism.

Tonyptony,
I'm sorry but I'm not sure exactly how to answer your question as I'm not that well versed in audiophile terminology, ha! All high & low ends sound realistic and nothing jumps out at me as being out of place. I don't have a clue as to what "transient speed" is, sorry.
Rookie Audiophile. I just love music :-)

Tgyeti

Annnnnddd back to the question:
Has anyone compared Ayre K-1x to Pass X-1?

mynquestion to the post: What type of sound do you want from your pre?

I love the way the X1 presents the music.  Imo, underrated preamp.

The Ayre K-1x is a fantastic preamp, better than that KX-5.  I haven't spent much time with the Twenty version however.

Between it and the Pass X-1 I give the nod to the Ayre.  The X-1 is very good however, but my memory was that the Ayre was just better.

I have a K1 - there are a few permutations to this unit.   Some have a phono, some with remote.  Mine is both ....and there is an update K1xe.   I remember when mine was modded to xe.....a definite upgrade.   The performance of the unit is quite wonderful, the phono section can take any moving coil made....the Ayre service is among the tops in the industry.

I can comment on the Pass X-1 to the Ayre K-5xemp. The K-5 was the last piece to give me a full Ayre rack, and I thought it a little better than the Pass X-1 at the time, but I was going to change anyway.So I put the Pass back in the system today to check. On the Chesky Schererazade,  I found the upper register on the orchestra to be a little more vivid on the Pass, and the lower register to be a little more articulated on the Ayre. Again in my system, I slightly prefer the Ayre, as a matter of system synergy, but with a Pass amp you might find a similar system synergy with the Pass X-1. The Ayre K-1 should be a notch above the K-5, but is normally more expensive. You pay your money and make a choice. In this case, you can't go wrong by much.