Предусилители — MasterSound Spettro

The Spettro is a Class A tube preamplifier from MastersounD, an Italian manufacturer, built around a distinctive Dual Drive System that MastersounD describes as a brand new concept in preamp technology, positioned above the brand's previous top-range PHL-5 V2 when it launched at the High End show in Munich. Spettro translates to Spectrum in English, and the name reflects the preamplifier's ambition to reproduce the full breadth of a recording's tonal and dynamic range without imposing its own character.

Key specs that matter

Between the phono and line stages, seven double-triode tubes (5x ECC82, 2x ECC83) handle amplification duties, with every component highly selected and custom-made specifically for this design. The Dual Drive System uses a pair of parallel preamplifier circuits per channel, specifically to halve output impedance and thereby deliver a signal with astonishing speed and dynamics - output impedance measures just 450 ohms, a remarkably low figure for a tube preamplifier that facilitates easy pairing with virtually any power amplifier. RIAA curve accuracy is within plus-or-minus 5dB (a more precise 0.5dB tolerance is specified on the brand's separate dedicated phono-stage products). Input impedance is 47k ohms, with bandwidth spanning a wide 1Hz to over 100kHz at 0dB. Connectivity includes four line-level RCA inputs, one line-level XLR input, one MM phono RCA input, plus one RCA output, one XLR output and one RCA record output. The circuit board uses gold-plated tracks throughout. The power transformer, like all MastersounD transformers, is designed and manufactured entirely in-house, drawing on founder Cesare Sanavio's decades of hand-winding experience, later passed to his son Luciano, who introduced further innovative and unique construction techniques found nowhere else in the industry. At 450 x 400 x 130mm and 10kg, a remote control is included as standard. US retail price is approximately $15,000.

Sound and use context

Expect a power amplifier connected downstream to express its full potential - MastersounD specifically states the Spettro's low output impedance and Dual Drive System facilitate a wide range of amplifier pairings, though connecting it to one of the brand's own mono or integrated amplifiers via their Direct input lets the Spettro express its potential to the absolute maximum, delivering great dynamics, power and harmonic richness without the classic limitations traditional output transformers typically impose.

Pairing

The exceptionally low 450-ohm output impedance and Dual Drive System ease pairing with almost any power amplifier, though MastersounD's own mono or integrated amplifiers, used via their dedicated Direct input, are specifically engineered to unlock the Spettro's fullest sonic potential.

Alternatives

MastersounD's own PHL-5 V2 sits below this model as the brand's previous flagship preamplifier, while the separate Stilo phono preamplifier offers a more precise 0.5dB RIAA tolerance for buyers wanting a dedicated phono-only solution, worth comparing directly with a specialist dealer given the Spettro's considerable investment and largely special-order availability.