purist pre is a high-end preamplifier with passive volume control, delivering uncompromised, ultra-neutral sound. Its sleek, intuitive design and precision-built components push performance to the limit.
The purist Pre is a preamplifier featuring passive volume control. This technology guarantees unparalleled neutral sound reproduction without compromise. Its minimalist design, combined with intuitive operation, sets a unique and forward-looking standard. High precision components specially manufactured to our exact specifications reach the technical limits of measurement and set the benchmark in terms of musicality. The premium, solid three-chamber aluminum housing, with its unique surface finish, is an investment built to last forever. You hear music - nothing more, nothing less.
Unmatched fidelity
purist pre is a high-end preamplifier with passive volume control, delivering uncompromised, ultra-neutral sound. Its sleek, intuitive design and precision-built components push performance to the limit.
RON – Resistor Optimized Network
The heart of the preamplifier is a novel passive volume control - RON. This high-precision switched attenuation network maintains constant low output impedance with minimal components. Traditional volume controls fail to meet these two fundamental criteria, limiting ultimate sound quality.
RON achieves consistent output impedance across a 100dB range in exact 1dB increments! Typical solutions falter on consistency or range. Previous high-quality solutions either had limited steps or increased components considerably.
Our purist pre employs specially made non-magnetic, induction-free, low-noise resistors with minimal tolerances, setting a new standard in resistor technology. The "O" in RON genuinely stands for optimized, with only a few relays and resistors in the signal path, ensuring minimal loss and maximum signal integrity. Purism in detail!
BASE Technology
Our modules employ BASE technology—Balanced Single-Ended circuits—using special high-voltage JFET transistors without global feedback.
This circuit approach is simple and straightforward with outstanding technical performance and superior sound. However, it requires specialized components and strict selection. Out of 1,000 tested transistors, only around 20 meet our specifications. This level of selection and component quality ensures maximum dynamics and resolution.
Power Supply
The active stages in purist pre use state-of-the-art power supplies with exceptionally low noise, ensuring no negative impacts on sound from the power supply.
Housing
Constructed from aluminum parts up to 1cm thick, the housing shields the music signal from external interference and absorbs resonances, preventing microphonic effects. It's divided into three isolated chambers - power supply, microprocessor control, and audio circuits - to eliminate component interactions. Specially developed resonance-draining, self-leveling feet ensure optimal coupling to the surface.
Controls
We have succeeded in making the operation so simple and intuitive that we could even do without labeling. The purist pre accepts commands via the single-button control unit on the front panel and through the IR remote control. The newly developed control unit operates contactlessly and completely wear-free using optical sensors. It displays the settings on a 3-digit display. If desired, the display can remain on during operation or turn off about 10 seconds after the last command. The purist pre features a memory function. It saves the last settings before being turned off and powers on again with that configuration. An exception to this is a three-stage protection function, which prevents startup at very high volume levels. Innovative!
Options
For the standard built-in BASE-in modules, we offer both a passive and an active version. The BASE-out modules can also be installed upon your special request. For fans of vinyl, we’ve developed an extremely flexible phono module. Inputs No. 5 and No. 6 can be equipped with it. In addition to individually adjusting the terminating impedance, the gain can also be set to suit nearly any cartridge on the world market. Is your cartridge a low-output MC or a high-output MM? Do you prefer a balanced input with XLR connectors, or an unbalanced one with RCA connectors? Do you prefer the RIAA/IEC equalization curve, or the Neumann one? No problem at all. Thanks to the use of the finest selected components and intelligent circuit design, we achieve a level of precision and playback quality that matches the high standard of all our components.
Precision in details
In over 95% of applications, a preamplifier does not require amplification. Modern signal sources provide sufficiently high signal levels. The valuable music signal only needs attenuation for the desired volume level; further amplification is unnecessary.
Contradiction: amplifying and attenuating
Clearly, one function here is redundant, presenting potential for innovative solutions. Why are preamplifiers still built according to principles from HiFi's early days, specifically with amplifying stages? The reasons are tradition and universal compatibility! Only since the advent of CDs in the early 1980s have source devices had higher output levels. Until then, amplification by preamplifiers was essential! To maintain compatibility with outdated standards, potential sound quality is often wasted by not focusing strictly on necessary functions. Unfortunately, if you use modern, high-level source devices, you'll never experience your music unaltered in its full beauty and dynamics, since unnecessary amplification always negatively impacts sound.
The Technology
The purist pre addresses this by eliminating amplification entirely when desired, but providing it if needed. We call this "scalable signal routing." The purist pre is divided into three modular sections: input stage BASE-in, passive volume control RON, and output stage BASE-out. Modules can be switched on or off conveniently via remote control. Choose how many components in the signal path you deem optimal—configure your ideal preamplifier yourself.
Scenario 1: Passive Volume Control
If your source is a CD player or phono amplifier, only level attenuation is required, and the purist pre can operate in passive mode.
The music signal does not flow through sound-influencing components such as transistors, capacitors, or coils, reaching the output genuinely unaltered. This principle is purely purist. Pure emotion and goosebumps! The sonic improvement is incredible!
Fig. 1 The music signal passes only through the RON, our new and unique volume control.
Scenario 2: Signal Adaptation
If connecting a CD player with RCA outputs to an amplifier with XLR inputs, simply activate the BASE-in input module via remote. This converts unbalanced (RCA) signals to balanced (XLR).
BASE-in utilizes top-quality transformers. If preferred, an active BASE-in module is available, offering switchable amplification from 0 to +6dB via remote control, suitable for high-impedance sources or low signal levels.
With the passive BASE-in module, no active components influence sound quality. The active BASE-in module adheres strictly to our purist ideals, minimally impacting the music signal.
Fig. 2 The music signal passes only through the active or passive BASE-in module and the RON.
Scenario 3: Long Cable Runs
With the optional BASE-out module installed and activated via remote, long cable runs to your power amplifier or active speakers are no longer problematic.
The BASE-out module also strictly adheres to purist ideals, minimally impacting the music signal.
Fig. 3 The music signal passes only through the RON and the BASE-out output stage.
Scenario 4: Signal Adaptation and Long Cable Runs
This combines scenarios 2 and 3, showing that purist pre only employs absolutely necessary components, clearing the signal path of unnecessary elements.
Scenario 4 essentially resembles conventional preamplifiers, clearly illustrating that such a configuration is rarely necessary. Conventional preamplifiers don't let you bypass unnecessary stages, forcing acceptance of negative sound influences.
Fig. 4 The music signal passes through the BASE-in input stage, the RON, and the BASE-out output stage.
State of the art
purist pre is a high-end preamplifier with passive volume control, delivering uncompromised, ultra-neutral sound. Its sleek, intuitive design and precision-built components push performance to the limit.
442 x 102 x 425 mm
ca. 10kg
100 dB in 1 dB steps (± 0.1 dB)
100 dB left/right
Technical measurement limit
> 100dB
Technical measurement limit
< 0,01 %
> 200kHz (-3dB)
> 100kHz (-3dB)
Silver or black
Red, blue or green
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Music servers and amplifiers for audio purists
Our aim is to reproduce recordings exactly as captured. We believe every component in the signal path can alter the original sound. By investing in superior circuit technology and ensuring optimal power supply performance, we let the ear make the final decision.
