Hello, I built this a couple of years ago to go with a pair of balanced F4's I built.
I used top-quality parts throughout and the result is a really nice preamp. I've been using a pro mixer/audio interface as my preamp since moving to active crossover speakers and the BA-3 has been on the shelf in my climate-controlled shop. I'd love for someone to get some use out of it; easily the best active preamp I've ever listened to.
I'm in Southern NH USA and will happily meet anyone within 100 miles of Manchester. Otherwise, I can ship double-boxed anywhere at the buyer's expense.
It's pretty heavy with the dual toriods so shipping won't be cheap to Europe or Asia.
Asking $1,000+shipping.
I used top-quality parts throughout and the result is a really nice preamp. I've been using a pro mixer/audio interface as my preamp since moving to active crossover speakers and the BA-3 has been on the shelf in my climate-controlled shop. I'd love for someone to get some use out of it; easily the best active preamp I've ever listened to.
I'm in Southern NH USA and will happily meet anyone within 100 miles of Manchester. Otherwise, I can ship double-boxed anywhere at the buyer's expense.
It's pretty heavy with the dual toriods so shipping won't be cheap to Europe or Asia.
Asking $1,000+shipping.
I'll also be selling the balanced F4's after I tidy up some of the wiring. Also very heavy with choke power supplies in 5U chassis.
Hey,
I’m currently building an F6 and have been looking for a preamp. I wonder how well this would match up with it? I’m currently using using RCA’s (unbalanced). Not sure what would be involved in changing your preamp to RCA’s. Curious though. I’m in screaming hot Northern California
Thanks
I’m currently building an F6 and have been looking for a preamp. I wonder how well this would match up with it? I’m currently using using RCA’s (unbalanced). Not sure what would be involved in changing your preamp to RCA’s. Curious though. I’m in screaming hot Northern California
Thanks
It would pair well with an F6 or any of Nelson's Firstwatt designs. It's very flexible.
It provides gain unlike the B1 buffer preamp and variants. I find it slightly less transparent than the B1's i've built, possibly due to the cap in the signal path to block DC on the output. YMMV.
The B1 is fantastic if you don't need gain. My favorite version is Salas's DCB1 which is about the quietist and most transparent 'preamp' i've listened to.
Of course, the ideal paring for the BA-3 is with the Burning Amps or F4 which needs a voltage-gain front end. That combination is about the best that I've ever heard from a preamp and amp.
If you're sticking with single-ended RCA, my BA-3 may not be worth it for you since all component counts are doubled for balanced.
I do have a pair of Jensen line transformers that I was going to install so that it can convert a single-ended source to balanced. I can still do that but it raises the total cost by say $100.
However, you'd still need a balanced amplifier to follow the balanced BA-3. I haven't built the F6 so i'm not sure if you can run a single amp as balanced stereo or if they need to be monoblocks.
It provides gain unlike the B1 buffer preamp and variants. I find it slightly less transparent than the B1's i've built, possibly due to the cap in the signal path to block DC on the output. YMMV.
The B1 is fantastic if you don't need gain. My favorite version is Salas's DCB1 which is about the quietist and most transparent 'preamp' i've listened to.
Of course, the ideal paring for the BA-3 is with the Burning Amps or F4 which needs a voltage-gain front end. That combination is about the best that I've ever heard from a preamp and amp.
If you're sticking with single-ended RCA, my BA-3 may not be worth it for you since all component counts are doubled for balanced.
I do have a pair of Jensen line transformers that I was going to install so that it can convert a single-ended source to balanced. I can still do that but it raises the total cost by say $100.
However, you'd still need a balanced amplifier to follow the balanced BA-3. I haven't built the F6 so i'm not sure if you can run a single amp as balanced stereo or if they need to be monoblocks.