The new M3 – M8 supply incorporates what is essentially a simplified M10 configuration where we rather than using the old input choke arrangement, which has now proven to be somewhat dynamically restricting we have a feed-forward supply with a rectifier (the usual trusty 6X5), regulator (ECL82/6BM8) and a voltage stabilizer (OB2) an arrangement that needs much less filtering capacitance and results in a supply that traces the signal stages requirements far more closely than anything else, the result is quite spectacular!Īs a result of the greatly increased cost of the above power supply and the fact that Black Gate™ finally decided to call it a day and stop production, we had to “re-jig” the specification of each product to ensure it stayed within the appropriate voicing and off course cost frame. The M3 pre-amplifier family were technically the most advanced (and strangely enough, at the same time quite backward looking) line of high quality pre-amplifier available, with its dual mono double choke valve rectified power supplies, optimised output transformers and powerful high gain line stage, it will remain the standard in pre-amplifier topology for years to come and as a result is already widely copied, but our quest for improvement does not stand still, and when our research and development reached its current pinnacle with the patented M10 Galahad power supply, Andy and I decided that it was time to seek to improve the M3 – M8 pre-amplifier’s power supply in line with what we had learned from developing the M10, so in very late 2003 (actually product only really shipped in January 2004) the “Mini”-Galahad supply was born and implemented into the M3, M5, M6 and M8 pre-amplifiers and development work on the M9 started. The M3 and its derivatives have proved quite a success, year on year they have consistently won “Pre-Amplifier of the Year” by Hi-Fi Review in HK starting in 2001 and pretty much every year since then. Since we introduced the original M3 pre-amplifier in 1996, based on circuitry developed 1994/95.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |