Предусилители — YBA SIGNATURE PREAMPLIFIER

The SIGNATURE PREAMPLIFIER acts as the control preamp of YBA's Signature series, from the French maker of high-end electronics, which the company describes as its most exclusive line built with its best components and materials. It combines analogue switching, an MM phono section plus a DAC in one natural aluminium case. The model was later followed by the Signature PRE-Amplifier MKII.

Key specs that matter

YBA specifies gain of +6 dB, signal-to-noise ratio above 105 dB and THD+N below 0.003% from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz within -0.5 dB. The input panel holds five RCA line connections, a single XLR input, a dedicated MM phono input and three digital inputs - USB, optical and coaxial. Outputs are two RCA pairs and one balanced pair. The digital stage uses a Cirrus Logic CS4398 converter. Its case is 430 mm wide, 388 mm deep and 151 mm tall and weighs 27.5 kg, while standby consumption is below 0.5 W.

Engineering and use context

Inside, a linear supply draws on a 190VA transformer, and the analogue circuits draw on 112,800 µF of filter capacitance. Power to the digital section is switchable, so it can be shut down while the listener plays analogue sources exclusively. The three digital inputs adjust automatically to every standard data rate from 16 bit and 44.1 kHz up to 24 bit and 192 kHz. Computer playback over USB requires a driver download under Windows, while Mac systems need no extra software. RCA input 5 can be set to bypass mode from the remote, fixing the gain so that the preamplifier can pass through the front channels of a home theatre processor. On the front panel, the standby switch is set into the embossed YBA logo, and a rotary selector steps through all ten inputs. The two YBA control buttons for mute and phase sit beside the volume control on the right-hand side.

Pairing

The balanced and RCA outputs connect to stereo or mono power amplifiers, and YBA offers the Signature stereo and mono power amplifiers as partners within the same series. No separate phono stage is required for a moving magnet pickup, since the record deck connects directly to the dedicated phono socket. The Signature series also includes a CD player that can act as the digital source in a single-brand system.

Alternatives

The Signature PRE-Amplifier MKII, released in spring 2022 on the same chassis, moves to an Analog Devices AD1955 converter with DSD64 support and an XMOS USB controller.