ML1401 (A) - “Paeonia” Passive Pre-Amplifier (Revision 2.3)
- Passive pre-amplifiers do not amplify the musical signal. Their purpose is to allow selection and attenuation of two or more inputs without - crucially - leaving any imprint whatsoever on the musical signal.
- At Musical Laboratory* we have been able to approach this ideal through the clever application of a classic, ultra minimalist circuit whereby the musical signal passes through just one audio resistor from the input to the output.
- With Revision 2.3 we completely rewired the device using our proprietary Silver Gold foils, to give a natural heft to instruments and vocals, as well as deeper bass extension.
Our passive pre-amplifier was based on the following design goals :
- It should continue the tradition of our mono-block amplifiers and be aesthetically pleasing.
- Use as short a signal path as possible through the device.
- We achieved both these goals using some lateral - out-of-the-box - thinking, by placing the control knobs and switches inside the box.
- It should allow attenuation of the input - rather than output - signals to facilitate SPL (volume) matching of sources - a necessary condition for performing A-B comparisons.
- Use of an ultra minimalist shunt design where the signal only passes through 1 audio resistor from the input to the output (2)
Other design goals were:
- The minimalist circuitry is housed inside a lacquered box decorated with an iridescent Abalone mother of pearl design of Paeonia (1). The lid can be lifted allowing access to the preamplifier switches and volume controls. The combination of high quality components, the short signal path, limiting the metal-metal boundaries to just silver, and use of a complete air-dielectric in the signal path allowed us to create a device which allows switching and volume control over 2 inputs while leaving the least possible imprint on the musical signal.
- Features include :
- Input 1/ Mute / Input 2 toggle switch control
- Audio Note chrome-plated brass volume controls
- Holographic counterfeit protection
- Vishay Sfernice P11s used in shunt - fake law configuration
- 2 x solid silver RCA input connections
- 1 x solid silver RCA output connections or 2 x RCA output connections (ML1401A)
- Silk insulated Silver Gold wiring throughout the device
- RoHS compliant
| ML1401 | Preamplifier | 2750 USD |
- Paeonia or peony is the only genus in the flowering plant family Paeoniaceae found in Asia and Japan - often referenced in the works of Masaoka Shiki (see Links)
- Note that negative sounding potentiometers are not in the direct signal path.