difference between Counterpoint SA3, SA5, SA6


Whats the differences between these, do they sound noticeably different?
samuellaudio
The Altavista Audio (AVA) link is a great resource. AVA is owned by the former President and chief designer of Counterpoint, Michael Elliott. Thanks Stevemcx.

Yes, the SA-3 and SA-5 are full function preamps, including phono stages. But the SA-6 is more accurately a mc headamp. It is used to provide additional gain for a mc cartridge before an RIAA equalizer. Therefore, a phono stage is still necessary when using the SA-6.

If you interested in learning more, search the archives for discussions of headamp and step-up transformers.
Follow this link to find the answers to most of your questions: www.altavistaaudio.com/Product_Guide.html. FYI - The SA-3 and SA-5 are full-function preamplifiers, while the SA-6 is a dedicated MC phono preamp.