Preamplifiers — Exposure 3510 Pre-Amplifier

The 3510 Pre-Amplifier is the line stage of the 3510 range from British company Exposure and arrived in 2022 together with a 3510 stereo power amplifier at a UK price of GBP 1,590. The 3510 family is positioned as the entry point to the brand's separates, and this model borrows several design elements from the higher 5010 line while keeping the controls simple.

Key specs that matter

Six line-level inputs are fitted, and one of them can be swapped for a plug-in moving magnet or moving coil phono module or for a plug-in DAC board. Outputs are two main RCA pairs plus a tape output. Input sensitivity is 250 mV and input impedance is at least 18 kohm. With rated input the unit delivers 1.9 V, gain at full volume is 18 dB, and maximum output reaches 7.7 V RMS at 1 kHz. Exposure quotes 20 Hz to 20 kHz within 0.25 dB, total harmonic distortion below 0.005% at rated output and 1 kHz, and an A-weighted noise figure better than 100 dB. Power draw stays under 25 W. The case measures 90 mm high, 440 mm wide and 300 mm deep and weighs 7 kg net, and titanium and black are the two colour choices.

Engineering and use context

Every transistor in the gain stage is a discrete part, and the outputs are driven by discrete class A transistor buffers. A hybrid power supply circuit is designed to keep noise off the rails that feed the gain stage. Input selection uses relays, and the circuit board layout was revised to lower crosstalk between channels. One input can be configured as an AV input with either fixed or variable gain, which lets the unit share duties with a home cinema processor at unity level while stereo sources keep normal volume control. The aluminium casework with an extruded front panel is intended to damp resonance and screen the circuitry from stray electromagnetic fields.

Pairing

Because there are two main output pairs, one stereo power amplifier and a second amp or a powered subwoofer can run from the preamp at once, and the 3510 stereo power amplifier launched alongside it shares the styling. Two 3510 mono amplifiers are the upgrade route for more power per channel. Owners with a turntable can add the phono module instead of a separate phono stage, while the DAC board covers a CD transport or streamer with digital outputs. All outputs are single-ended, so power amplifiers with only XLR inputs are not a direct fit.

Alternatives

The Exposure 5510 Preamp is the step up, adding XLR outputs and a 99-step relay-controlled volume in a case of the same size.