I have acquired one of these. Looks very impressive with all its valves, but is there still a use for these, with all the MC phono stages available? IIRC in the old days there was a bigger market for these voltage step up devices because most amps had MM stages only.
Here is some more info from the designer, who still repairs and upgrades them, under the name of Alta Vista Audio:
"SA-2 MC Pre-preamplifier. This moving-coil pre-preamplifier was introduced in 1982. It features a fully-tubed signal path and was the first such component to use a vacuum-tube voltage regulator, including a tube rectifier. Important note: this is not a phono stage, and cannot be used in place of one. It is a voltage amplifier designed to raise the low output level of MC cartridges up to MM levels. It is intended to be connected between an MC phono cartridge and the MM input of a phono preamp that does not have a built-in MC stage.
Technical Summary:
Pure tube signal path. The unit has two paralleled 6DJ8 triodes per channel for low noise. There is no feedback The transformer is housed in a separate enclosure. The unit offers provisions for adjusting cartridge loading and bandwidth limiting. Transformer housed in separate box. Front panel controls for On-off, Mute, Tube Bias, with lamps to indicate when the right and left channel tubes have the same bias current. Aluminum front panel finished in black anodize. Discontinued end of 1991."
Here is some more info from the designer, who still repairs and upgrades them, under the name of Alta Vista Audio:
"SA-2 MC Pre-preamplifier. This moving-coil pre-preamplifier was introduced in 1982. It features a fully-tubed signal path and was the first such component to use a vacuum-tube voltage regulator, including a tube rectifier. Important note: this is not a phono stage, and cannot be used in place of one. It is a voltage amplifier designed to raise the low output level of MC cartridges up to MM levels. It is intended to be connected between an MC phono cartridge and the MM input of a phono preamp that does not have a built-in MC stage.
Technical Summary:
Pure tube signal path. The unit has two paralleled 6DJ8 triodes per channel for low noise. There is no feedback The transformer is housed in a separate enclosure. The unit offers provisions for adjusting cartridge loading and bandwidth limiting. Transformer housed in separate box. Front panel controls for On-off, Mute, Tube Bias, with lamps to indicate when the right and left channel tubes have the same bias current. Aluminum front panel finished in black anodize. Discontinued end of 1991."
