Karan Acoustics
Master Collection
PHONOa
Phono Pre Amplifier
(Made In Europe)

Overview

We proudly present the first product from our new 30th Anniversary – Master Collection range – a state of the art line preamplifier with an outboard power supply unit. We believe this product truly is our “state of the art statement” as every aspect of it reflects 30 years of our knowledge, experience and learning about design and manufacturing execution of uncompromised high-end audio instruments. Our choice of very best passive and active components is a result of endless subjective evaluations and laboratory measurements. Many components from reputable manufacturers have been produced to our proprietary specifications. Particular attention has been given to the topology of printed circuit boards as that happens to be crucial for the best sound quality. Our printed circuit boards are made out of very particular isolation raw material with all copper traces having a thickness of 75um (preamplifiers) and 120um (power supply units and amplifiers). We also exceeded all our previous efforts in the area of design and manufacturing of chassis. In addition to an exceptional aesthetics, the highest available quality aluminium has been used for best acoustic properties and least sensitivity to RF and EMF effects to the circuits therein. Not only, very special components for positioning and placement of PCBs inside the chassis have been implemented in order to further reduce negative mechanical side effects. This, in turn, preserves transient speed, energy, clarity, definition, focus, microdynamics, true harmonic structure of music and overall musicality of the recordings played back. After extensive evaluations, we chose to use CMS (Critical Mass Systems) CS2 isolation/support feet for all our Master Collection products. They exhibit a minimal transfer of mechanical and airborne resonances and feedback to the chassis and electronic circuits inside. Preamplifiers and power supply units have CS2-1.0 isolation/support feet, while all power amplifier use the larger CS2-1.5 model. All our components are internally wired with Cardas Audio pure copper chassis wire.

All electronic circuits have been designed in active class A with no global feedback. This concept eliminates inter-modular distortion (IMD) and all circuits are entirely symmetrical, truly differential (balanced) and DC coupled (no capacitors anywhere along the audio signal route). DC offsets are controlled by proprietary DC servo circuits. Our fully complementary design topology with smallest possible tolerances ensure the perfect balance between the positive and negative audio signal yielding absolutely identical amount of any distortion, noise or interferences that could arise on both signal polarities. Perfect balance of this kind mutually cancels all the unwanted signal by-products, leaving just the purest audio to reach our ears. The output level of the signal (volume control) has been designed as a 4x fully balanced (symmetrical) attenuator with ultra-fast relays and custom made, non-magnetic resistors (0.1% tolerance).  Both the remote control handset and the main control panel of the preamplifier provide a “mute” function and, even more importantly, (on the remote control handset) the absolute polarity (phase) selection. This gives every user an opportunity to select the correct polarity for different recordings (both analogue and digital) as there is no adopted standard among the recording studios and record labels. The preamplifier is linear +0/-3dB from 1.5Hz to 3MHz. Extremely fast and DC coupled circuits guarantee no phase shift of the audio signal or any time aberration within the full audio bandwidth, virtues so important in order to retain a very precise and accurate 3D rendition with very holographic spatial positioning of all the musicians and instruments within a recording. Our all voltage amplifier and output stages use active components capable of transient speed between 30 and 65MHz, all with very close tolerance and designed with lots of attention to finest details, all in order to create and preserve a unique musical experience. The amplitude frequency response is much broader than the audio domain which enables the audio instrument to reproduce all high and low harmonics of fundamental tones (without delay, phase instability and amplitude), often outside the top and bottom extremes of the audio spectrum. Without the correct reproduction of all those harmonics, it is not possible to reproduce precise and accurate tonality and intonation of any musical instrument! Extremely high transient speed combined with a very low noise brings to all our products an unbelievable amount of low-level detail resolution and completely disposes of any masking of true musical information stored in so many available recordings of, equally so, simple and complex musical pieces.

We must not forget the fundamental importance of power supplies, their circuits and components used. All our power supplies have been designed with fastest rectifiers and with minimal internal impedance. Huge capacitance reserves give fast and dynamically correct response and enormous headroom when complex and multi-layered musical contents need to be dealt with. As many as nine (9) stages of current-voltage filtration and regulation per channel, as well as separate supplies for each audio channel (separate transformers and regulation circuits) have been implemented. Needless to say, all our digital circuits, input selection and illuminated displays have their own, dedicated, separate transformers, regulation and filtration.

All our products are truly hand assembled from carefully chosen and tested components to the finished unit. Each sample of any of our products undergoes an extensive measurement and listening tests before it leaves the factory towards its final destination.

Our Master Collection range will grow slowly and consistently over the next few years. The LINEa/PSUa preamplifier will be followed by the single-chassis LINEb line preamplifier. After that, we will bring to life our final statement among phono preamplifiers PHONOa/PSUa (3 phono inputs, RIAA, EMI, DECCA, COLUMBIA and TELDEC eq curve selection and absolute polarity selection). A single-chassis phono preamplifier PHONOb (1 phono input, 5 eq curves and absolute polarity selection). Finally, two new mono and two stereo amplifiers will round off the portfolio – POWERa mono, POWERb mono, POWERa and POWERb.

In our attempt to bring all the emotions stored within so many fine recordings of all genres of music and let you, the music lover and listener, infinitely enjoy your music collection at a, so far, unsurpassed level of pleasure and joy, we have put all our knowledge, experience and love for the music into the design and execution of our new 30th Anniversary – Master Collection. We hope you will enjoy using our musical instruments as much as we enjoyed creating them.

• Contact : Dicky Ng 012-3308893
• Contact : John Yew 016-2861000
• Email    : [email protected]