"SM6" Balanced Stereo Preamplifier

The "SM6" is a true balanced stereo preamplifier, from start to finish. The positive and negative halves of the signal never touch. This is very rare and only the highest quality preamplifiers have this architecture.

The Class A line stages have been designed to provide output buffering, so the user can drive low impedance loads over long cable lengths using any cable.

There is a separate power supply for each section of the preamplifier; one for each of the volume control chips (two chips are used to keep the system fully balanced and, therefore to maintain separation each chip is supplied with it’s own separate power supply), another one for each of the output buffering stages (once again because the "SM6"/"SM6P" runs a fully balanced system, this means that there are two separate output buffer stages), yet another to power the digital logic and the final power supply looks after the input relays. The advantage of is that there is complete isolation from stage to stage. The digital noise is kept completely out. This is further evidence of a very thoroughly designed product offering.

Many audiophile grade components are still provided with analogue controls that are adjusted on the faceplate of the unit. While total control from the remote is common practice in standard products (and so it should be on all products!) it is not yet widely utilised on many high-end systems. Obvious advantage is that you don’t have to get out of your chair to make an adjustment. Some of the functions available are: mute, volume up/down, display on/off, input select and balance.

We pay particular attention to designing the product to ensure maximum separation between internal signal and power earths, only meeting at a central starred point.

Wima style signal capacitors, custom wound multi tap epoxy potted toroidal control transformer directly soldered to the PCB, extremely large, highest quality fiberglass PCB allowing special treatment to be given to earth planes and layout with minimum dielectric, hand soldered through-hole mounted components.

The "SM6" uses two digitally controlled resistor ladder volume controls. This is because we treat the positive and negative parts of the signal separately (true balanced system). The advantages of using a digitally controlled analogue resistor ladder to adjust volume are; precise control, no contacts to corrode creating wiper noise and no analogue component drift.

Any manufacturer who uses a comprehensive remote control will use relays. However, the relays we use are high quality, thereby further lessening the chance of input signal degradation.

You do not need to purchase an RCA style splitter if you want to drive two separate power amps simultaneously, as there are dual parallel outputs.

Quality PCBs featuring heavy copper tracks and components are used throughout the unit.