There are many things in common with a food critic and an audiophile.  Both enjoy their respective passions through the appreciation of their subtleties. 

In other words, a food critic would never allow his cuisine to be prepared with unhygienic produce, likewise a true music lover would not tolerate their music to be contaminated by unclean power.  Unclean power pollutes every note, and every moment of emotional exchange between the musicians.  To put it simply – unclean power distorts the purity of music.

Sonic Dirt:

When power leaves the generating station it is pretty clean.  Unfortunately, every device attached to it draws a current which  corrupts the purity of the voltage wave form.  Open air high voltage cables can pick up radio signals from all kinds of sources.  Transformers throughout the national grid  are running close to saturation point, which  creates more distortion.  From large electric motors such as those used in factories, to baby alarms and hairdryers, all can pollute to intolerable levels.  . 

It does not end there!  The power supply in most hi-fi equipment are among the worst polluters.  A large amount of interference is generated by the standard 3 pin regulators.  While they filter out noise from the input, they also inject noise of  their own due to the nature of their operation. . Many manufacturers in an effort to maintain costs, ignore this problem, even in their high-end priced equipment.

The PRE-100 Power Supply:

Based on our successful discrete regulator technology, the Burson PRE-100 has taken the concept of low noise power supply to a new level.  Its power supply network is a combination of two dual rail power supplies (total of 4) teamed with two custom-built low noise triode transformers.  The power supply network is tailor-made for the preamp. It has a wide bandwidth, a fast settling time, extremely low noise and impedance which is matched to ensure the preservation of the finest detail,  often blurred by unclean power.  It also ensures plenty of headroom for those demanding passages.

　

　

　

The PRE-100 Amplification stage:

The dual mono design is also employed  at the amplification stage of the PRE-100.  Driven by our tradition and our belief (read more about superior discrete opamp technology we have developed) the two independent amplification modules  are discrete in design.  They are built from carefully chosen and matched discrete components which allow the PRE-100 to outperform any IC (Intergraded Circuit) base counterpart.

The PRE-100 Buffer stage:

Burson understands the importance of  impedance matching. (read more about it from our buffer page)  A tailor-made unity gain buffer stage has been added after the differential gain stage, which means  the PRE-100 will synergise with any CD player and DAC upstream and any power amp down stream.

• Expanded on our successful Burson Discrete Audio Buffer (Click here to read more about it)
• Built from ground up with discrete components (not a single IC anywhere).
• Hand picked & closely matched transistor pairs
• Optimised signal path to reduce any capacitive coupling effect
• Custom built low noise power supply
• Custom built low noise power transformer.

The end result is a pre amplifier that is both transparent and musical. A benchmark performer.

　

Output: Voltage, RMS 25 Volts 20Hz to 20 kHz Voltage, peak-to-peak 80 Volts Output Impedance 25 Ohms Frequency response 20Hz to 20kHz, ±0dB Outputs Total harmonic distortion + noise, 20Hz to 20kHz < 0.005% Signal / noise ratio reference 1 Volt RMS output > 100dB 'A'-weighted Input sensitivity for 1 Volt output 255mV Input impedance 220k Ohms Gain at maximum volume 15dB (5 times)

Inputs / Outputs 3 pairs line level RCA connectors Outputs 2 pairs RCA Power requirement 115 / 230 Volts AC 50 / 60Hz 50 Watts maximum General: Weight Net Weighted 7 Kg Gross Weight 8 Kg Dimensions W x H x D (mm) 430 X 100 X 360

Test system:

1. Modified Marantz CD16SE
2. Burson Audio Buffer
3. PRE-100
4. Burson PI-100 Integrated/Power amp. 80 w.p.c
5. Modified EveII (fully sealed, 87db, 2.5 way using Scan-Speak D-9800,18W8545 and 21W4555)

Pre-Amps used for direct comparison:

A. Modified and re-tubed Audio Electronic Supplies AE-3 Single-ended Class A
B. Cary SLP-03
C. NAD C162
D. Moon P-3

Compared to the already highly modified AE-3… Well there was no comparison. The AE-3 was like a Big Mac burger while the PRE-100 was like Mrs Delmo’s (the lovely wife of one of our team member) 400g perfectly grilled steak and a glass of aged Shiraz.

Compared to the Cary SLP-03, the PRE-100 exerted more control into the music especially on both ends of the frequency spectrum. The PRE-100 represented music with more attack, definition, soundstage and a much darker background (thanks to its low noise power supply). In contrast the SLP-03 presented a thicker mid and mid-high with that tube intonation. The SLP-03 was like a refined black and white camera with its signature distortion imprinted on every image captured, the PRE-100 like a masterpiece Leica camera, representing not only the moments with brilliant colour, but also the magic of those moments.

Compared to the solid-state C162 the PRE-100 brought more substance into the music. To put it simply, there was more music to listen to with each and every note.

As for the Moon P-3, the PRE-100 brought forward a warmer but never fussy mid and mid high. During the listening session we gained a lot of respect for the P-3, but under the above-mentioned setup, the PRE-100 was simply more enjoyable to listen to.
. The PI-100 is an excellent stand alone integrated amplifier, but with the PRE-100 on top, the PI-100 turned into a completely different animal. Every aspect of the music was enhanced.

In the world of iPods, boy bands and 222 second recycled pop “music”, far too many creations are driven by commercialism and consumerism. They will eventually earn their rightful place in landfill.

In contrast, the things that stand the test of time and remain with us are those quality creations that have been built with passion and expertise by the innovators who have had the courage to walk their own path, not just follow the established ‘trends’ of the day. Their passion for what they believe in and what they create will always leave its mark.

The PRE-100 may not impress your friends with any flashing LEDs, but we know it will connect you with music for years to come. It again reflects our passion and love of music.

Picked up my preamp. today. You guys have done a great job. It sounds really nice.

Geir USA