The Master 1 Vacuum XLR is a 100% tube preamplifier: the power supply stage and the preamplification / buffer stage are built exclusively from lamps, resistors and capacitors. In other words, it is a pure tube design developed specifically to offer the best of this technology. The Master 1 Vacuum will delight audiophiles who want to regain the characteristic sound signature of tubes, without sacrificing the transparency, dynamics and tonal accuracy of high-fidelity devices.

100% Tube Preamplifier

In accordance with the Audio-GD tradition, extreme attention is paid to channel separation. The device is divided into two individual circuits composed of 4 completely separate amplification channels, processing the balanced left and right signals. With the right choice of carefully matched lamps, this configuration helps to open the sound scene considerably without altering the transparency of the signal.

SOLEN film capacitors are in charge of filtering the power supply and signal. This type of component is particularly suitable for use in a tube preamplifier design.

In order to offer the tube sound in all its depth, Audio-GD has refrained from using a whole class of components likely to colour the signal and nuance the effect of the lamps. The circuit consists only of low-capacity film capacitors (no high-capacity electrolytic capacitors), no shock chokes, no power regulation: just the sound of the lamps.

The power supply stage itself is exclusively designed from tubes, which definitively eliminates any possibility of degrading the harmonics of the tube architecture with the noises of a transistor-based power supply.

Designed as a true modern high fidelity tube preamplifier, the Master 1 Vacuum has a low gain input that is highly engineered to work without compromise with current sources (which already have a high output level).

The circuit operates with 6 tubes 6H2N-EB and 4 tubes 6U4N-EB. This lamp model was developed by the Russian Air Force. It offers a very high level of precision and excellent durability.

This special design allows a first signal preamplification upstream of most noise sources, significantly improving the signal-to-noise ratio and resulting in performances rare in the world of tube preamplifiers, while respecting the signature of this technology as a whole. The Master 1 Vacuum thus displays a THD+N of less than 0.02% with a disconcerting linearity.

Wide connectivity and source selection

The Master 1 Vacuum XLR is the cornerstone of an analog section, with three balanced XLR and two unbalanced RCA inputs. The remote control allows remote source changeover, which can also be done from the buttons on the front of the unit.

At the output, the device offers a balanced XLR output, an unbalanced XLR output and an unbalanced RCA output.