Aric Audio Motherlode II Tube Preamp in Custom Cabinet with Upgrades
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Aric Audio Motherlode II Tube Preamp in Custom Cabinet with Upgrades
SkyFi 479
479 South Broad Street
Glen Rock NJ 07452
United States
Super minty single owner preamp from Aric. Featuring a second chassis for the power supply and plethora of cosmetic and functional upgrades from the factory including:
1. LinLai 6SN7 tubes, which Aric Kimball assured, after extensive listening comparisons, were the best he ever heard, short of the most expensive and rare NOS 6SN7's.
2. The Jensen input transformers and XLR inputs which for the purpose of connecting a balanced output DAC or other device in fully balanced mode. Aric Kimball compared the Jensens to the Cinemag (the other popular transformer) and much preferred the Jensens.
3. Gorgeous custom Maple cabinets which have much broader appeal over stock finish.
Technical Notes:
This preamp features a single balanced input which utilizes balancing transformers. This was a custom option requested by the original owner.
Brand Background:
I take pride in hand-building my amplifiers, preamplifiers and speakers here in the US, and have been an avid enthusiast in the Audio world for most of my life.
My products represent what I would want in a product- something that performs like a hot-rod, and lasts for years, so when you're running your system 5 or 10 years from now, you'll look at the Aric Audio logo on the product and feel that you made the best decision you could have.
Feel free to browse my store, and any questions or requests you have can be directed to me, personally, from the Contact Us page.
Best wishes~ Aric
Ownership:
Single Owner
Connections:
RCA and XLR with removable IEC Power Cord
Cosmetic Condition:
8/10 = Very Good. Excellent front faceplate, one minor flaw on chassis side or top. See our detailed rating description here.
Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested in our lab and listening room.
Included:
Unit, remote, and power cord.
Packing:
Will be packed using our highly developed in-house process and custom packing materials.Reviews:
Click Here
Original MSRP:
$5,500.00
Specs:
– Gain between 5-30Db depending on tubes used and output level controller position
– Use of 6SN7 or 6SL7
– 5-40,000 Hz +/-1 dB
– Single-ended inputs (4 sets)
– Single-ended outputs (2 sets)
– 4 position output level control
– Input impedance: 50 kOhm
– Output impedance: 300 Ohms with 6SN7, 600 Ohms with 6SL7
Recommended Cables:
Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Better
Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Better
Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Better
Testing Process:We 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 PCB’s 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.
When 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. The 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 1KHz sine wave into one of the preamp’s line level inputs while monitoring the preamp’s output on an oscilloscope. We then switch to a 1KHz 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. Once 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.
We 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. If 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.
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