Custom Preamp Projects, Tube and Solid-State
With the advent of great sounding diodes, BlackGate caps, natural sounding film caps and the incredible Platinum resistors it is possible to make meaningful improvements in already good sounding equipment of all types. So if you are considering upgrading that great old preamp, that you're not about to part with, then consider our services. We have pleased the owners of ARC, C-J, Counterpoint, Krell, Mark Levinson, Marantz (tubed), McIntosh, Spectral and many other preamps. Call for our advice on these special projects.
ARC
LS-22 - with Platinum resistors throughout the active stage, new coupling
caps and thorough mod to power supply wherein we actually change the basic way
the power supply regulation works. With the cost of the large number of Platinum
resistors in this unit, and the very extensive mods to the power supply, the
installed price would approach $1250.
ARC SP-3 -
completely revamped phono stage with four tubes, all Platinum resistors, new coupling
caps and BlackGate® caps in cathode bypass applications. Sovtek®
12AX7LP tubes were added after they became available for yet another upgrade to
the preamp. This preamp also has a new line stage with two 5814A (12AU7 equiv.) tubes
operated in
constant/balanced current mode and major power supply revisions. You know the
type with HyperFast diodes, considerable enhancement of power supply
capacitance and film bypass caps. This completely custom
modification was nearly $1500.
This Aranov
preamp got the fairly full treatment with massive upgrading of the power supply
to about 700uF for B+. All caps on the power supply pcb are new, Schottky diodes
grace the heater circuit and Ixys FREDs are used for the B+ - note the extra
pair of caps added to boost the storage for B+. The twin main boards have the
Platinum resistors, Musical Concepts film caps and new Sovtek 12AX7LP tubes.
Note, too, the superb TKD pots are used for the twin volume controls! Mod was in
the $900-$1000 area if memory serves.
Ouch!
We forgot to take pictures of this Mark Levinson unit when completed.
Doh! Again this was a very complete mod. Power supplies were upgraded even to
the extent of designing new voltage regulators for the audio stages. Can you
believe this unit used standard inexpensive single chip voltage regulators -
7815 and 7915 variety goods? We believe that there are far better sounding
regulators out there and they should be used in expensive preamps. ML is not
alone among expensive units in using these voltage regulators. Shame on all you
alleged high-end guys! Anyway, along with far greater capacitance in the power
supply we used a lot of new bypass capacitors, replaced the output chips,
replaced all the important resistors with Platinum parts and used several
BlackGate caps in the power supply. Yes, this was another all-out mod running
well over $1000!!!!!!!
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