{"product_id":"tandberg-3018a-vintage-preamplifier-flagship-model","title":"Tandberg 3018A Vintage Preamplifier - Flagship Model, Serviced","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGeneral:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe recently acquired an entire collection of Tandberg components from a dedicated collector, and this is the first piece to complete our testing process.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Tandberg 3018A was the company's flagship preamplifier, designed and manufactured in Norway as the successor to the renowned 3008. It is a beautifully minimalist preamplifier with everything you need and nothing you don't. There are no tone controls and no gimmicks. Its design is focused on delivering the purest possible signal for uncompromising high-fidelity listening.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBuild quality is exceptional, with premium components throughout and the understated Scandinavian design that made Tandberg products so distinctive. One of its standout features is the superb MM and MC phono stage, making it an excellent match for a high-end turntable and cartridge. Around back, the gold-plated RCA inputs and outputs ensure reliable, corrosion-resistant connections, while a standard IEC power inlet makes it easy to use modern detachable power cords. (this type of connection was not common when it was released)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis particular 3018 received a service here at SkyFi for long term reliability, functionality, and sound. We really enjoyed this preamp in testing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIncluded are the original owner's manual, factory technical documentation, and an original review from \"Audio\" magazine from the 1980s. It is exceptionally rare to find a piece of this age accompanied by such a complete set of original documentation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSkyFi Cosmetic Notes:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHas extremely minor nicks, great condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSkyFi Technical Notes:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis preamplifier received a light servicing in house. We cleaned all of the controls, checked and calibrated the regulated power supply voltages, and replaced an ailing reed relay in the output section. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBrand Background:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTandberg was an electronics manufacturer located in Norway. The company began in the radio field, but became more widely known for their reel to reel recorders as well as cassette decks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOwnership:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSingle Owner\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eConnections:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRCA, IEC Power input\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eGeneral Sound:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSmooth, uncolored, undistorted natural and clean\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCosmetic Condition:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e7\/10 = Good. One or two minor scratches. Well Maintained. See our detailed rating description \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/skyfiaudio.com\/pages\/our-rating-scale\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehere\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWorking Condition:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWorking perfectly and tested in our lab and listening room.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIncluded:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnit, manual, and power cord.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePacking:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWill be packed using our highly developed in-house process and custom packing materials.\u003ciframe title=\"This Is How We Pack Sensitive Electronics at SkyFi Audio, Less Than 0.2% Shipping Damage\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wuWesEecAbE?\u0026amp;autoplay=1\u0026amp;mute=1\" height=\"720\" width=\"1280\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003cb\u003eReviews:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.hifi-classic.net\/review\/tandberg-tpa-3016a-and-tca-3018a-241.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eClick Here\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSpecs:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eType: Stereo preamplifier\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYears produced: 1987–1993\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCountry of manufacture: Norway\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrequency response (line): 20 Hz–20 kHz (+0\/-0.1 dB)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExtended bandwidth: 1.6 Hz–1.5 MHz (-3 dB)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTHD (line): \u0026lt;0.005%\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSignal-to-noise ratio:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLine: 90 dB\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMM phono: 78 dB\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMC phono: 74 dB\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInput sensitivity:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLine: 90 mV\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMM phono: 1 mV\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMC phono: 60 µV\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaximum input voltage:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLine: 20 V\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMM phono: 290 mV\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMC phono: 14 mV\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaximum output voltage:\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMain: 5 V nominal (10 V at clipping)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTape: 7.5 V\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeadphone: 20 V (unloaded)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhono stage: Discrete MM and MC with passive RIAA equalization\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSubsonic filter: 15 Hz, 12 dB\/octave\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePower supply: Toroidal transformer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCircuit topology: Fully discrete, no overall negative feedback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e435 × 89 × 350 mm (17.1 × 3.5 × 13.8 in)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e12.5 lbs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eApproximate Age:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1987\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLink to Manual:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/retronik.silicium.org\/DOCUMENTS\/Audiovideo\/Tandberg\/Tandberg-TCA-3018-A-Owners-Manual.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eClick Here\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRecommended Cables:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/skyfiaudio.com\/products\/kimber-kable-hero-interconnects-pair-rca-ultraplate-or-wbt-connectors-new\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKimber Kable - RCA Interconnects\u003c\/a\u003e - Better\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/skyfiaudio.com\/products\/kimber-kable-silver-streak-interconnects-pair-rca-ultraplate-or-wbt-connectors\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKimber Kable - RCA Interconnects\u003c\/a\u003e - Best\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/skyfiaudio.com\/products\/kimber-kable-tak-cu-phono-cable-with-wbt-connectors\" title=\"Kimber Kable - TAK-CU - New Speciality Series Tonearm Cable, New - SkyFi Audio\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKimber Kable - Phono Interconnects\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/skyfiaudio.com\/products\/kimber-kable-pk14-pk-14-ascent-power-cord-brand-new\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKimber Kable - Power Cords\u003c\/a\u003e - Better\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/skyfiaudio.com\/products\/kimber-kable-ascent-series-pk10-pk-10-power-cord-brand-new\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKimber Kable - Power Cords\u003c\/a\u003e - Best\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTesting Process:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure that there are no signs of heat stress or damage. Capacitors are checked for telltale signs of predictive failure including bulging, shrunken wrappers, or physical leakage. We also inspect the PCBs for discoloration from resistors or transistors that may have been running hot. On vintage units we often spot check select capacitors for value and ESR. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen we first power on a preamplifier we connect its RCA output to a Sencore PA81 Power Analyzer which simulates real world loading conditions and gives us an oscilloscope interface.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe first order of business is checking that the volume control works smoothly throughout its entire range with acceptable channel balance. This is accomplished by feeding a 1 KHz sine wave into one of the preamp’s line level inputs while monitoring the preamp’s output on an oscilloscope.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe then switch to a 1 KHz square wave to test the tone controls, loudness function, and filters where applicable. During this step we are watching for equal alteration of the test signal by both channels. This also helps us identify dirty controls that will need treatment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOnce the basic line stage functions are verified, we test each input individually. This is especially important for devices that use relays to select their sources. If the preamp is equipped with a phono stage we test that as well. We use an inverse RIAA filter which allows us to feed a reference test signal into the phono input with the proper RIAA equalization and level. A square wave or sine sweep is used to verify that the device’s phono stage is faithfully reproducing the RIAA curve. If the preamp under test has balanced inputs and\/or outputs these are tested as well.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe finish up our bench testing with a listening test with our bench amplifier and reference speakers. During this test we check for hum or hiss that may not have shown up in earlier testing. We also check that all of the tone controls and filters perform as expected.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf the preamplifier has remote control functions these are also tested. Preamps with tube circuits or complicated power supply topologies are connected at our long term test rig for extended stress testing under real world conditions.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tandberg","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48594930041086,"sku":"107818","price":5015.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0003\/3275\/9084\/files\/tandberg-3018a-vintage-preamplifier-flagship-model-serviced-477.jpg?v=1786653610","url":"https:\/\/skyfiaudio.com\/en-au\/products\/tandberg-3018a-vintage-preamplifier-flagship-model","provider":"SkyFi Audio","version":"1.0","type":"link"}