Pass Labs XP 30 VS Ayre KXR Pre

Both of these are supposed to be exceptional. The Ayre has been in the market for a bit and has very good reviews. The Pass is a new unit with an excellent review in The Absolute Sound.

Mike

I have not heard the Ayre but did audition the XP-30 at Reno Hi Fi a few months ago. I am a tube guy for preamps..but thought the 30.5 was an outstanding!!!, noise free and extremly neutral and involving line stage.

05-17-12: Peterayer
Has anyone actually heard these two preamps in the same system and done a direct comparison. The first three responders sound so definitive. On what are their opinions based?
Peterayer (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

My guess is NO and you can probably include the 5th.

you can throw it at someone without damaging it

Yep, this is my TOP priority in a preamp.

I did try both preamps in my system for more than a week for each unit. Each preamp was coupled with a Soulution 710 amp, YG Anat Ref 2 Studios, a Meridian 808.2, and some other source units. I also tried out a number of other preamps, ss and tube, over the last several years. I ended up buying the Ayre KXR. While the Pass XP-30, in my opinion, did not do as well as the Ayre in my system -- I sit eighteen feet from the loudspeakers in an accoustically difficult room-- I have the highest praise for Mark of Reno HiFi. From a customer's point of view he is one of the very best dealers out there.

The Ayre KXR is an excellent preamp and it was a preamp that I wanted very much. I had it my system for a few weeks and enjoyed every minute of it. I had alo considered getting a Pass XP-30 as an upgrade from my XP-10 but I was not able to demo the XP-30.

In December, I ended up getting an Audio Reference 5SE, my first tube preamp. I was able to compare the KXR to the Ref 5SE in my system for a few days.

I was quiet surprised that I preferred the Ref 5SE by a small margin. The REF 5SE has vocal that is a bit more engaging and 3d like. The KXR has slightly better detail and more transparent with darker background.

I wish I could have kept both preamps.