Предусилители — Meitner Audio PRE Stereo

The PRE is a stereo line preamplifier from Meitner Audio, the lower-priced sister brand of EMM Labs, both founded and led by Ed Meitner and based in Calgary, Alberta, where the products are designed and manufactured. It has been shipping since March 2023 at USD 7,500, and it takes technology from the EMM Labs PRE reference preamplifier, which costs USD 25,000.

Key specs that matter

There is one pair of XLR inputs and two pairs of RCA inputs, with XLR and RCA output pairs that are both active at the same time. Input impedance is 20 kOhm balanced and 10 kOhm single-ended, and output impedance is 150 ohm balanced and 75 ohm single-ended. System gain is 6 dB, and the attenuator spans 74 dB. Maximum input is 18 dBu, or 6.2 V RMS. Noise is more than 116 dB below a signal at 4 V RMS in a 20 kHz bandwidth, THD is below 0.004% and frequency range is 0 Hz to 200 kHz. The power supply is power-factor corrected and accepts 90 to 260 V at 50 or 60 Hz, with a maximum consumption of 50 W. The case is 435 x 400 x 92 mm, weighs 7.43 kg and comes in silver or black.

Engineering and use context

Input selection uses a contactless switching system, so there are no relay contacts in the signal path that could wear or oxidise. The signal paths are discrete and dual balanced. The output stage runs in pure Class A and is built to cope with long cable runs and awkward loads. Level is set by a proprietary software-driven analogue control that keeps the full bandwidth at every setting, with three volume presets for each input and a balance control. A frequency range that reaches down to DC means the circuit is DC coupled, without coupling capacitors in the path, and a DC protection circuit guards the connected amplifier against a DC offset at the output. The low-noise power supply is a high-efficiency design. An RS232 port allows firmware upgrades and control commands from automation systems, and the package includes a remote handset. Its front panel has a fine bead-blasted finish. Because both output pairs work at the same time, the PRE can feed a power amplifier and a subwoofer together.

Pairing

The balanced output suits power amplifiers with XLR inputs, including the EMM Labs and Meitner amplifiers, and the low output impedance drives long interconnects. Digital sources need an external DAC such as the Meitner MA3.

Alternatives

Meitner Audio has no other line preamplifier, as the MA3 is a DAC with preamplifier functions and the DS-EQ2 is a phono stage.