Reference Pre
Reference Pre
A Hybrid Preamplifier
The Audiopax Reference Pre is a combination of exclusive and innovative topologies with today's best components brought together in an exquisite assembly.
It is the only preamplifier in production to feature Timbre Lock® technology, an Audiopax invention that optimizes the synergy between the preamplifier and the amplifier used. It is also the first hybrid preamplifier in our history, combining the best of valve and solid-state devices. Numerous other unique features are added: the use of inductive loads, no global negative feedback, high-voltage shunt power supplies, an audio signal path passing through just two active devices, and parts developed exclusively for its circuits.
The result? A preamp that adds precision and musicality to the systems in which it is included, simultaneously adding disparate characteristics such as visceral dynamics and an incredible ability to expose the subtlest nuances of music. The final sensation is that with it your system goes beyond the mere reproduction of sounds, and begins to reveal the intentions and emotions of the musicians and the music.
The Timbre Lock® - A Unique Interpretation of Synergy
Timbre Lock®, an Audiopax invention, was a feature initially included in our amplifiers and can be described as a control that acts directly on one of the most important parameters that affect our sense of "synergy": the complex spectrum of final distortions in a system. It is a technology that was awarded the "Industry Award for Best Valve Amplifier Innovation" by Hi-Fi News, England's most traditional magazine specializing in audiophilia, and was described by it as "a genius invention that simply works".
Unlike the Reference Amp setting, where the adjustment acts directly on the synergy between the amplifier and the speakers, here these adjustments are more related to the synergy between the pre and the power amplifier, thus guaranteeing the same advantages for systems with different amplifications. The presence of this feature in the Reference Pre redefines the role of the preamplifier in an audio system, allowing an important part of this "synergy" concept to be achieved with a simple operational adjustment, which is why the inclusion of Audiopax preamplifiers in audio systems is often described as "pure magic".
Timbre Lock® does not operate in the field of frequency response, but rather in the optimization of residual harmonic distortions in an audio system, and it is often difficult to describe its final effect. But during adjustment, improvements can easily be seen in the perception of timbres, in micro-dynamics, in the impact and articulation of bass and even in more subjective factors, such as the "reality" of musical elements (with a greater perception of the presence of musicians in your listening room) and in the emotional involvement obtained during playback.
Audiopax redefines the role of a preamplifier, materializing in a direct and controllable way the concept of "synergy" between its components.
A Hybrid Preamplifier
The Reference Pre was born with a few goals in mind: maximum performance at any volume level, with any sound source and in any style or musical passage. To achieve this, the preamplifier itself needed to be completely isolated from the devices connected to it, which led us to develop our first hybrid preamplifier.
The Reference Pre uses a valve module connected as a "cathode follower", a topology that is rarely used but which, in this case, guarantees absolute isolation between its input and output, something that is fundamental to achieving this pre's incredible ability to present micro-details. For this module, we opted for the ECC82/12AU7 valve which, in addition to meeting all of Audiopax's strict performance requirements, also allows our customers a huge range of high-quality NOS models to suit any taste: from the precision of German options (such as Telefunken or Valvo) to the warmth of British ones (such as Mullard or Brimar), passing through the "best of both worlds", with the neutrality of American and Japanese ones (such as RCA or Toshiba). This module has been developed to guarantee maximum valve life and has an automatic adjustment of its operating point, ensuring extremely simple replacement.
An additional benefit of this topology is a significant increase in the Reference Pre's input impedance, which now represents an extremely "easy" load for all its inputs. Micro-details, subtleties, breaths and intentions are revealed in all their contours and granulations.
An Exquisite Combination of Circuits
The Reference Pre was born with a few goals in mind: maximum performance at any volume level, with any sound source and in any style or musical passage. To achieve this, the preamplifier itself needed to be completely isolated from the devices connected to it, which led us to develop our first hybrid preamplifier.
The Reference Pre uses a valve module connected as a "cathode follower", a topology that is rarely used but which, in this case, guarantees absolute isolation between its input and output, something that is fundamental to achieving this pre's incredible ability to present micro-details. For this module, we opted for the ECC82/12AU7 valve which, in addition to meeting all of Audiopax's strict performance requirements, also allows our customers a huge range of high-quality NOS models to suit any taste: from the precision of German options (such as Telefunken or Valvo) to the warmth of British ones (such as Mullard or Brimar), passing through the "best of both worlds", with the neutrality of American and Japanese ones (such as RCA or Toshiba). This module has been developed to guarantee maximum valve life and has an automatic adjustment of its operating point, ensuring extremely simple replacement.
An additional benefit of this topology is a significant increase in the Reference Pre's input impedance, which now represents an extremely "easy" load for all its inputs. Micro-details, subtleties, breaths and intentions are revealed in all their contours and granulations.
An Exquisite Combination of Components
Nobody will find a high-end preamplifier made from second-rate components. Period.
The Reference Pre components have been selected with the extreme care that the concept of "high-end audio" demands. All our transformers and load inductors are designed and built exclusively for our products, always using the best laminations and wires selected after years of research and testing. Each resistor and capacitor is selected for its specific function and in some cases Audiopax has created partnerships to develop components exclusively for certain functions. In the Reference Pre, for example, all Jupiter Condensers capacitors, one of the leading manufacturers of capacitors for the high-end market, are produced especially for this pre, after several years of development.
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