Truely Balanced Pre Amps

02-01-07: Cedar
The Audio Horizons, TP 2.0 has balanced circuitry.

Sorry, it is not truely balanced, only psuedo-balanced, like VAC. Balanced inputs and outputs, but not a balanced internal circuit. They use a transformer to change to/from balanced to their single ended internal design. I've been trying to get Joseph to build a fully balanced design.

Now that he's come out with a remote control, he's one step closer to me trying one of his designs. However, with a fully balanced front end and amplifier, I'm obviously holding out for a fully balanced preamp, not a pseudo-balanced design. Not that his preamp doesn't sound good, but as the thread title implies 'Truely Balanced Pre Amps', the Audio Horizons TP 2.0 definitely does not belong in this group.

John

The Audio Horizons, TP 2.0 has balanced circuitry.

Cary slp 2002 and I think the slp 03 too (fully balanced). the Cary gear has the best HT bypass I've seen too.

kw.....

The advantage is lower noise and lower distortion, to the point that less gain stages can be employed.

There is less than double the parts so the cost ought to be less than double too. And yes, there is a fully differential way to do this.

A 'fully balanced' preamp will not have the signal appear anywhere in the circuit in single-ended mode, except at an input. So all the switching, the volume control, EQ is all in the balanced domain.

So how many drop out when this rule is applied?

an excellent preamp. Only available used, of course.

Threshold T2, will still compete with other fully balanced preamps.

www.balanced.com

For a True Balanced Tube Preamp look at Space Tech. Labs.

http://www.space-tech-lab.com/

Graaf GM13.5 II

Cary Audio SLP-05, truly balanced inside and out.

Sonic Frontiers

The Sonic Frontiers Line 1, 2 & 3 pre amps are all completely balanced from input to output.

Primare Pre30 too.

>>Atma-Sphere has two<<

All of Ralph's amps and preamps are fully balanced.

Promitheus TVC, Bent TAP AND NOH TVCs.

Also Jeff Rowland, Mark Levinson, Simaudio.

McIntosh C100, C200, C1000; all the Classe, Pass, Aesthetix, Ayre, Krell. These are some of the more common ones.

ARC has several. So does BAT. Atma-Sphere has two.
On the more affordable end, Audio Experience makes a fully balanced pre for about $1K. I am more than sure that there are others. Happy Listening.

ARC has several. So does BAT. On the more affordable end, Audio Experience makes a fully balanced pre for about $1K. I am more than sure that there are others. Happy Listening.