Cello Palette Preamp - A True Masterpiece

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This iconic preamp is worthy of membership in the absolute best of the best HiFi collections.

A great way way to get the maximum performance from your trusted vintage speakers.

The build quality is exemplary and about the best we've ever seen. To build a preamp of this quality with todays manufacturing would cost upwards of $25k.

MSRP of $6,700 in 1992 (Over $12k in today's dollars).

Tone controls are subtle, and improve the range with out getting in the way at all.

The preamp is in near perfect condition without a scratch or blemish anywhere worth mentioning. 

Comes to you with an outboard power supply and a custom made umbilical cable.

Completely tested and working perfectly, with only a light service (but full testing) was performed prior to listing.

From the 1992 Stereophile Cello Palette Preamp review written by Lewis Lipnick:

"In a nutshell, the Palette Preamplifier gives the listener a glimpse of what performers experience every day on stage: total immersion in the music. Should you shell out the bucks and buy one? Just like everything else in this world, it depends on your priorities, and the realization that even the best is imperfect. Would I put my money on the line for this preamp? Yes, indeed."

Our Testing Process for Preamplifiers at SkyFi:

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.

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.

Please click here for detailed specifics regarding our specialized packing process that separates us from the rest.