?? Why does it have to be ARC? Is that the only preamp that will allow marital harmony?
The Ayre has a balanced input, so a balanced tube preamp seems to be what you are after. FWIW, the ARC preamps while balanced, don't actually support the balanced standard. So if you go with one of them, you'll have to be careful to audition the interconnect cable too, to get the best results. OTOH, if the preamp supports the balanced standard, then the interconnect cable won't be an issue (and you'll be able to run it longer distances, which might be helpful if you want to keep it out of sight).
The Ayre has a balanced input, so a balanced tube preamp seems to be what you are after. FWIW, the ARC preamps while balanced, don't actually support the balanced standard. So if you go with one of them, you'll have to be careful to audition the interconnect cable too, to get the best results. OTOH, if the preamp supports the balanced standard, then the interconnect cable won't be an issue (and you'll be able to run it longer distances, which might be helpful if you want to keep it out of sight).