Pre Amps

In 2010 we announced the Reference Anniversary preamplifier, a special limited edition product commemorating our 40th anniversary. It was acclaimed by many as the finest preamplifier available and a fitting tribute to all of the classic Audio Research products that were introduced during the forty years that preceded it.

Audio Research has produced some of the finest components for music reproduction; this is especially true with regard to preamplifiers. In 1973, the SP3 was hailed by every major critic as the best preamplifier available, and this tradition of excellence has continued ever since. The Reference Series from Audio Research was first introduced in 1995 and has been the ultimate representation of performance, musicality and dynamics. The Reference 6SE is the latest chapter in our story.

The LS28SE line stage is a flexible and intuitive preamplifier. Four balanced and four single-ended inputs, and two sets of both balanced and single-ended outputs, allow maximum connectivity. The straightforward menu allows control of numerous parameters, including input naming, tube hours, auto shutdown, and home theater passthrough. Phase invert and mono are also standard functions. At the heart of the LS28SE are four 6H30 vacuum tubes in the analog circuit. While the LS28SE is the perfect match for any Audio Research amplifier, it has been designed to work with nearly any amplifier on the market today.

Years of R&D have resulted in a new discrete operational amplifier from Bryston that outperforms all that have come before. Each BR-20 measures at or below 0.0006% THD+N—an exceptionally low number giving your music incredible room to breathe! We combined the excellent BDA-3 DAC with an updated BDP streaming platform into the system so you can get the best possible digital performance from our built in player, or the digital source of your choosing. We even updated the internal headphone amplifier to have more power and lower output impedance to effortlessly power even difficult loads. Finally, we offer our best phono preamp and an all new HDMI card as options for even greater flexibility in your system. We can confidently say the new BR-20 is our best preamp ever!

The Bryston BP17³ is the first component from Bryston to use our patented low distortion Salomie circuit at both the input and output stage. This new technology is remarkable in its ability to render even miniscule details with breathtaking clarity and lifelike scale. As a fully featured preamp, the BP-17³ is the centerpiece of your stereo. Balanced and single ended analog inputs can be used with virtually any source component. High resolution DAC and moving magnet phono options are also available.

The Bryston BP26 preamplifier offers a significant step forward in capturing the subtleties, nuances, and emotions of recorded music. All aspects of the signal flow are enhanced with lower noise and distortion figures, and higher load levels, offering a rich and vibrant audio experience.

We like to say the Inspiration PREAMP 1.0 is distilled, not diluted. It embodies the essence of our earlier work while retaining the subjective musicality and objective performance that won so much acclaim for our previous preamps.

Constellation Audio, the renowned luxury goods manufacturer of high performance solid-state electronics, is pleased to announce the introduction of the new Revelation Series of components at CES 2017. CEO Dr. Murali Murugasu challenged his dream team of designers and engineers to develop a new series of Constellation Audio components that could deliver the essence of our renowned Performance Series. The results are truly a Revelation.

Virgo III is a subtle but significant evolution of our Virgo II line stage preamplifier. The new version introduces a unique, passive implementation of a digital volume control created by our "dream team" of world-renowned audio engineers.

Only the Momentum preamplifier can deliver the sound quality necessary to get the maximum possible performance from the Momentum monoblock and stereo amps.

Like the Momentum amplifiers, the preamplifier uses complementary balanced circuit topology for maximum bandwidth and low noise. Its audio circuitry is fully discrete, with no op amps. Zero-feedback design assures the most musical sound quality. Volume adjustment is made through a resistor ladder governed by an optical controller—the cleanest, most transparent possible method of controlling volume.

The Progression Preamplifier adds new features previously not included in a D’Agostino preamplifier. Most noticeably, the Progression Preamplifier features an optional digital module. The digital module adds coaxial, Toslink, and USB capability to the analog base model. A fully differential DAC handles PCM signals up to 24 bit/384 KHz and DSD signals up to 4xDSD (11.2 MHz). This digital module feeds a discrete, fully complementary and balanced analog signal path from input to output. Negative feedback is not used anywhere in the Progression Preamplifier, nor is it necessary. Open-loop distortion is less than < 0.006% and the open loop bandwidth extends to over 100KHz.

The darTZeel NHB-18NS is the logical partner to the now acclaimed NHB-108 model one power amplifier. In keeping with the very same philosophy, darTZeel uses dedicated circuits reduced to their most basic form. Here again, there is no application of any overall negative feedback. The delicate, small audio signal amplified by the NHB-18NS only passes through 8 silicon junctions from input to output, including the 13dB full discrete gain stage. For the phono stage, we only add 3 junctions, for a maximum additional boost of 60 dB (73 dB in total).