Cary Audio SLP-94 Tube Preamp w/Phono Stage and Separate Power Supply

Free Shipping on *ALL* Electronics (Excluding Speakers, Contiguous 48 US States Only)

Despite its diminutive size, this Cary tube preamp is a great performer as we witnessed in our listening room and our lab.

The size was attained by separating the noisy power supply to another box. A great way to improve a component.

We cleaned up the phono stage and tested it thoroughly. It's also sporting fresh 12AX7 tubes that came from Jadis!

In beautiful cosmetic condition with little signs of wear, it's clear that this single-owner preamp was treated delicately its entire life.

It will ship to you in its original box, with the original manual and power cord.

Please see our last photo or the linked manual below for full specifications.

Tube Notes:
(2) National EZ81 Rectifiers
(4) Unbranded 6189
(2) Unbranded 12AX7 

Cary Audio SLP-94 Tube Preamplifier Manual

The SkyFi Testing Process for Preamplifiers:

We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure there are no signs of stress or aging. Capacitors are checked for telltale sings of bulging or leaking, resistors are checked for signs of overheating or cracking, and transistors are checked for signs of stress or damage. Special attention is paid to the power supply which is the most common source of failure for preamps. We then power up the unit and run a simple 1k sine wave while monitoring the low voltage output on an oscilloscope for signs of distortion or noise to get a baseline.

At this point we will lubricate and clean all switches and potentiometers (that are not sealed) with a high quality contact cleaner, and then re-test all functions for any signs of noise or scratching.

We also test all tubes for output gain and leakage on our calibrated and modern professional tube tester against the original manufacturers specifications.  If needed, the tubes will be replaced from our vast NOS  (New Old Stock) vintage or modern inventory.  

Final testing involves putting actual music through the preamplifier. We have learned over time that some issues are only noticeable to a trained ear while listening to a familiar source material. Our test bench has reference vintage KEF speakers that we are super familiar with which will quickly reveal any discrepancies. Some preamps will then move into the listening room where they will be tested with our in-house reference system.