We have had many requests for a replacement for the much loved, now retired Foreplay preamp. While we feel that we have learned enough over the years that even our $99 Quickie battery powered DHT preamp design sounds a little better than everyone’s old favorite Foreplay, we understand what people are asking for. And so we have created a new AC powered preamp that fits very nicely between the budget minded Quickie and our top line BeePre 300B preamp.
Smash is a directly heated triode design like our other preamps and it incorporates many features found on the BeePre –
• Three pairs of inputs
• Two pairs of outputs
• Separate volume and balance controls
• Shunt regulation of the high voltage supply
• Regulated filaments
The Smash uses directly heated 4P1L tubes wired for triode operation as voltage amplifiers. Cathode bias is achieved by our tried and true HLMP6000 LED method. Shunt regulation of the solid state high voltage supply (using ultrafast recovery rectifiers) is via a 0D3 gas regulator and filament supply regulation is via an L200C regulator. The audio circuit is completed with the simple addition of high quality plate resistors and output capacitors.
Three pairs of inputs allow for multiple sources and two pairs of outputs allow for the connection of two amps per channel for multi-amping speakers, or a single power amp for speakers and a separate subwoofer amp or dedicated headphone amp. RCA jacks are gold plated.
We have had many requests over the years to incorporate a balance control into our preamps. We introduced a balance control in the BeePre 300B preamp and we have carried that implementation over in this preamp.
The chassis arrangement is similar to our other kits. We provide the usual high quality level of American made transformers, an American manufactured 10†x 10†chassis panel with our cool new random brushed artisanal finish and lovely Pacific Northwest milled alder wood base that glues together easily and looks great with a wide range of builder-applied finishes. Sockets are ceramic.
Specifications:
Gain @1kHz: 10dB
Maximum output: 7Vrms
S/N: -88dB @4V rms output
Channel Separation: 120dB @500Hz
Input impedance: 56Kohms with volume and balance controls centered
Output impedance: 1.6 Kohms
So how does it sound? Just as its price indicates the sonic character of the Smash falls between the Quickie and the BeePre in terms of resolution. It has the same “DHTness†- that sense of delicacy and realism - as our other two preamps. It will make a great match to the Reduction phono preamp, will work nicely with Paramounts and, yes, we have plans for the introduction of a new power amp to fit this middle price range in the near future.
Why Smash? One day Grammy winning mastering engineer Paul Stubblebine came to Bottleheadquarters for some listening, and he asked to hear the new preamp prototype. Josh brought the preamp up from the lab and on the way to the listening room it slipped out of his hands and Smash! It looked pretty sad with a big bend in the chassis but it fired right up and sounded great.
The regular price for this kit will be $399. As an introductory offer we are pricing the first 20 Smash kits at $349. We have yet to write the manual and get all the parts in stock, so it will be an estimated six weeks before we deliver the first kits.
http://bottlehead.com/smash-dht-preamplifier-kit-specs/
Smash is a directly heated triode design like our other preamps and it incorporates many features found on the BeePre –
• Three pairs of inputs
• Two pairs of outputs
• Separate volume and balance controls
• Shunt regulation of the high voltage supply
• Regulated filaments
The Smash uses directly heated 4P1L tubes wired for triode operation as voltage amplifiers. Cathode bias is achieved by our tried and true HLMP6000 LED method. Shunt regulation of the solid state high voltage supply (using ultrafast recovery rectifiers) is via a 0D3 gas regulator and filament supply regulation is via an L200C regulator. The audio circuit is completed with the simple addition of high quality plate resistors and output capacitors.
Three pairs of inputs allow for multiple sources and two pairs of outputs allow for the connection of two amps per channel for multi-amping speakers, or a single power amp for speakers and a separate subwoofer amp or dedicated headphone amp. RCA jacks are gold plated.
We have had many requests over the years to incorporate a balance control into our preamps. We introduced a balance control in the BeePre 300B preamp and we have carried that implementation over in this preamp.
The chassis arrangement is similar to our other kits. We provide the usual high quality level of American made transformers, an American manufactured 10†x 10†chassis panel with our cool new random brushed artisanal finish and lovely Pacific Northwest milled alder wood base that glues together easily and looks great with a wide range of builder-applied finishes. Sockets are ceramic.
Specifications:
Gain @1kHz: 10dB
Maximum output: 7Vrms
S/N: -88dB @4V rms output
Channel Separation: 120dB @500Hz
Input impedance: 56Kohms with volume and balance controls centered
Output impedance: 1.6 Kohms
So how does it sound? Just as its price indicates the sonic character of the Smash falls between the Quickie and the BeePre in terms of resolution. It has the same “DHTness†- that sense of delicacy and realism - as our other two preamps. It will make a great match to the Reduction phono preamp, will work nicely with Paramounts and, yes, we have plans for the introduction of a new power amp to fit this middle price range in the near future.
Why Smash? One day Grammy winning mastering engineer Paul Stubblebine came to Bottleheadquarters for some listening, and he asked to hear the new preamp prototype. Josh brought the preamp up from the lab and on the way to the listening room it slipped out of his hands and Smash! It looked pretty sad with a big bend in the chassis but it fired right up and sounded great.
The regular price for this kit will be $399. As an introductory offer we are pricing the first 20 Smash kits at $349. We have yet to write the manual and get all the parts in stock, so it will be an estimated six weeks before we deliver the first kits.
http://bottlehead.com/smash-dht-preamplifier-kit-specs/
