Spectacular sounding preamp. This one has the John Curl gold MC phono board. Read the reviews, this one is in excellent operational condition. The lettering has faded on the right side of front (On/Off and Play/Mute buttons.) When you look at the preamp looking down you see the lettering but straight on - you do not see it (make any sense?) There are some superficial scratches on the top plate.
Please see photos below.
Ships in original box and copy of owner's manual.Buyer to pay actual shipping costs and if using paypal, add 3% to total. Please email me at apt_one@yahoo.com for questions and shipping quote. MODULUS 3A FULL-FUNCTION STEREO PREAMPLIFIER
Nineteen years ago Audible Illusions began production of the first Modulus preamplifier, a component that set new standards for sonic performance and reliability. The Modulus 2, introduced in 1985, carried the promise even further, quickly becoming one of the best-selling tube preamplifiers ever made. With the introduction of the Modulus 3 in 1992 and the M3a in 1995, our Modulus preamplifiers have earned a reputation for sonic excellence, construction quality and reliability.
To date over 18,000 Modulus preamps have been manufactured with over 150 excellent product reviews from audio critics around the world.
Adhering to our circuit design philosophy that "Simple is Better" and based on the proven superiority of single-ended, triode-tube designs our engineers continue to refine the preamplifier. Elimination of cathode followers, buffers, negative feedback, paralleling tube output stages, designing new film capacitors and exploring better mechanical interfaces are but a few innovations that has made our company a pioneer in modern-day tube technology.
Today the M3a is one of the few full-function preamplifiers made. For vinyl record and CD lovers alike, this preamp offers unparalleled musical performance. It is the finest preamplifier we have ever made and continues to be the benchmark by which many others are compared.
Control Functions: Dual-Mono, Left & Right Stepped Attenuator Volume Controls, Tape-Source, Subsonic Filter, Stereo/Mono, Muting, On/Off
Input Selection: CD, DVD, Phono, Tuner, Video, Auxiliary, Tape
Output Selection: Main (2), Tape
Optional: Internal, gold-plated, left & right channel circuit boards for low-output M/C phono cartridges. Mirror-Polished, Nickel-Silver and 23k Gold Faceplates. Also, Clear-Anodized faceplates and control knobs. Features:
• Circuit Design is Dual Mono, Class-A, Single-Ended Triode, open-loop.
• External Power Supply, housing three separate supplies, prevents unwanted AC-induced distortions.
• Main Chassis has five-separate, fully-regulated FET power supplies in addition to separate filament supplies.
• Audio Circuit has no Cathode Followers or Buffers.
• Standby Soft-Start Circuit prolongs tube life and circuit components.
• Automatic-timed muting with tri-color LED.
• Control Knobs have low-light, backlit Illumination.
• Separate Volume Controls are Precision Stepped Attenuators.
• Proprietary gold-plated RCA jacks with Teflon insulators.
• All circuit boards are hand-soldered with silver-bearing solder. All polypropylene and polystyrene capacitors are proprietary designs of Audible Illusions. M3A TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
GENERAL
Overall Gain: 58dB at 1kHz
Tube Compliment: 4-6922 or 6H23EB twin-triodes, graded & matched
Weight: 20.5 lbs, 24 lbs (shipping weight)
Dimensions: 19"W x 3.5"H standard rack
Chassis is 17"W x 11"D x 3"H
Power Supply, 6"W x 10"D x 5"H
Muting: 45 second warm-up and automatic brown-out protection
Power Requirements: 115-125VAC, 60Hz
45 watt maximum. 6 foot IEC Line Cord, supplied
Optional 100, 220, 230, 240 50-60Hz transformers.
PHONO SECTION
Gain: 28dB at 1kHz
Frequency Response: +/- .25dB of RIAA from 20hz to 20kHz
Signal Phase: Non-Inverting
Signal to Noise: 74dB below a 5mV input wideband
Distortion: Less than .015% at 20 kHz
Input Impedance: 47 kOhms
Phono Overload: 1.2v rms at 1 kHz (100k load)
750mv rms at 1 kHz (IHF load)
HIGH LEVEL SECTION
Gain: 30dB, Tape & S/S Processor 0dB
Frequency Response: Within +/-1 dB
2Hz to 100kHz measured w 1-1 probe
(50 kOhms, 100pf load)
Signal to Noise: 90dB below 1.5V rms output wideband
Input Impedance: 50kOhm - all
Output Impedance: Main-1.2 kOhms, Tape-150 Ohms Distortion: .10% at 1.5V rms, 20-50 kHz, into 50kOhm load. Less than .12% THD at 1v out into IHF load
Signal Phase: Main Outputs - Inverting
Tape Outputs - Non-Inverting
Maximum Input: 9v rms.
* Specifications subject to change without notice Stereophile/96-Vol. 19, #2-M.Fremer, "All this adds up to what is clearly one of the finest-sounding, best-built preamps in the world and the reviews from around the world reflect that."
Bound for Sound/96-"COMPONENT OF EXCEPTIONAL MERIT"
Academy for Advancement of High-End Audio/96-(Nominee) Golden Note Award
Fi Magazine/96-Kaplan-(author’s ref. Preamp) "I Don’t Plan on Parting With It For A Long Time".
Positive Feedback Magazine/96-Blackburn-(Author’s Reference Preamp)
Audio-Video Shopper Magazine/96-"Currently the Benchmark By Which Other Preamps (Solid-State or Tube) Are Measured".
Times Digital/97-Kaplan-"Truly a Modern Classic, Makes Recorded Music Feel Like a Live Concert".
Audio Review Magazine/98-"HALL OF FAME (Preamplifiers)
Audiophilia Magazine/98-(Recommended Component) "Uniquely conceived and executed, the M3a reflects one man's vision of how art should imitate life, a feat the M3a manages like few others. With affordable full-function preamplifiers becoming as rare as a ‘57 Rothchild’, Audible Illusions should be applauded for continuing to develop and market the Modulus 3a, a superbly musical and highly affordable device capable of extracting the best from both analogue and digital sources."
Fi Magazine/99-(Recommended Component)
Clube Audio Magazine/99-(Brazil) "Outstanding Value-Five Star Rating"
Stereophile/96,97,98,99,2000/April-(Recommended Components)-"CLASS A"- (Preamplifiers)
The Absolute Sound/2000-(#124) Recommended Components/Markwell, Single-Ended-Heaven
Sensible Sound/2000-(#82) Recommended Components/T.Lyle (Preamplifier)
Audio Review.com-a consumer review site-(Preamplifier)
ConsumerREVIEW.com CHOICE Award 2000-(Audio Preamplifier)
The Absolute Sound/2002- (#138) Recommended Component
Stereophile/2002- (Vol. 25, #11)
Selected #31 of 100 Most Important Audio Products of Past 40 Years
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