Features
| Brand | Cary Audio |
|---|
Tech Specs
- Circuit Type - Class A Triode Vacuum Tube Preamplifier Design
- Output Voltage - 2 volts rated, 12 Volts maximum
- Overall Gain - 17 dB – Single-ended RCA
- 24 dB – Balanced Operation
- Rated Distortion - 0.03 % THD
- Noise and Hum - -90 dB below full output
- Input Impedance - 50,000 Ohms – RCA
- 100,000 Ohms – XLR
- Output Impedance - 400 Ohms
- Frequency Response - 5 Hz to 250,000 Hz
- Vacuum Tubes - 8 ea – 6SN7 octal tubes for the balanced, headphone and gain stages
- 1 ea – 5AR4 Rectifier Tube in Power Supply
- Power Transformer(s) - R CORE 200% Duty Cycle
- Resistors - 1% Metal Film
- Capacitors - Polystyrene, Film and Foil
- Power Supply Capacitors - 2 ea – 560µF @ 400 VDC
- AC Cord - 3 Conductor, Detachable
- AC Power Requirements - 117 or 234 Volts AC @ 50 or 60 Hz
- Consumption - 75 watts – Operation
- 25 watts – Standby
- Warm-Up Time - 3 Minutes
- Break-In Time - 100 hours of playing time
- Finish - Anthracite black chassis with silver or black aluminum faceplate
- Features - Remote volume control and muting
- One Cinema Bypass (XLR balanced or RCA)
- One tape monitor loop
- Two XLR balanced stereo inputs
- Three RCA stereo inputs
- One XLR balanced and two RCA pairs of preamplifier outputs
- Weight - 16 lbs – preamplifier
- 19 lbs – external power supply
- Dimensions - 6.25″ H x 17″ W x 12″ D – preamplifier 4.5″ H x 17″ W x 12″ D – power supply
Product Description
The Cary Audio SLP-05 Reference Pre Amplifier is an award-winning high-end valve preamplifier that comes in two units. The main unit is the preamplifier itself while the second unit is the power supply. The Power supply unit also has a pair of meters built in.
These display the anode(plate) voltage and current. Having separate units keeps any noise out of the sensitive preamplifier circuits. Another noise-reducing feature is the balanced input system. No feedback is used to further enhance the musicality and detail.
Great connectivity
Additionally, the Cary Audio SLP-05 Reference Pre Amplifier has three RCA inputs as well as a tape loop. There are also two pairs of balanced XLR inputs and outputs. A cinema bypass mode is included so that you can share sources with a home cinema amplifier without degrading the signal path.
Next, there is a master volume control as well as individual left and right-level controls. Next, there is a 6.3mm headphone socket as well as a trigger input on the PSU.
Hand matched valves and quality components
Hand-matched valves are used for the Cary Audio SLP-05 Reference Pre Amplifier. This ensures that the channels have a balanced gain. There is also a matched pair used for the headphone amplifier. The result is audio that misses none of the tiny details in the music.
This investment piece is made with the finest components and is designed to last for many decades with no loss of performance. The resistors used are 1% metal film. These will not drift in value with temperate. Moreover, the capacitors are polystyrene for a long life.
Why Valves?
Valves are known for their warm and musical sound. Notably, the Cary Audio SLP-05 Reference Pre Amplifier uses no sold-state devices whatsoever. There is even a Valve rectifier in the power supply. Valves are class A so there is no possibility of crossover distortion or transistor noise.
Valves run a high voltage, over 200 volts in this case. As a result, the power supply is only lightly loaded. The result is very little hum and noise.
Valves are essentially thermionic devices. They have a heated cathode that emits electrons. The electron flow is created by having an anode at a high positive voltage. Next, a grid is placed between the anode and cathode. The grid is kept slightly negative with respect to the cathode. As a result, the flow of electrons is reduced to a predetermined level. When an audio signal is placed on the grid an amplified version is produced on the anode.
A word about capacitors
One issue with vintage audio equipment was leaky capacitors. These can upset the grid biasing and destroy or damage the valves. Modern units use polypropylene or polystyrene capacitors. These have a much longer life than the old paper types.
Notably, the power supply of the Cary Audio SLP-05 Reference Pre Amplifier features two meters that monitor the anode voltage and current. This offers a good indication that the valves are in good condition and operating normally.
