EXPIRED: SOLD: Manley Labs - The Purist valve preamplifier

[filjorgez]

Item: SOLD elsewhere: Manley Labs - The Purist - Valve Preamplifier
Location: Melbourne
Price: $1250
Item Condition: very good
Reason for selling: replaced by an Earle Weston special preamp
Payment Method: Pickup - COD with free personal delivery around Melbourne
Extra Info:

Second model release with the 24K Gold plated facia. Retail $1650 USD in 1994.

Designed in the early nineties by David Manley himself.

With quite a few interesting features and options. For example, three level system gain setting, 3 sets of outputs, or the balance controls also serve as a form of dynamic tone control via their use of variable negative feedback, which works out as ideal for taking the edge off some modern aggressive mastering. 

 

"Manley Laboratories 'The Purist Preamplifier'. Designed by David Manley, the Purist Preamplifier uses the best available parts with the shortest, cleanest, signal path possible. This Preamp has all the vital signal conducting electronics located near the input / output jacks with the controls connected with long shafts. The high-current line circuit employed here is one we have developed and refined over the years in our MANLEY Professional series. Minimalist signal path is accomplished with a few short, wide PC traces and very little wire. The signal wire is six nines pure copper, teflon insulated and well shielded. The signal is direct coupled through the tube stages and is only passed through one capacitor per side -and these are premium MIT foil/film caps . The gain controls are precise conductive plastic pots with the main volume being a custom unit specially imported that has superior electrical and mechanical characteristics. These controls are a large part of why this preamp has such a musical appeal similar to precision passive preamps. While passive preamps are notoriously sensitive to interconnect cables, this preamp will be easier to interface due to its constant low impedance output and high impedance inputs. Finally (but really initially) the power supply is a simple, highly filtered, well engineered design without the reliability problems common in other high voltages supplies."

Manley Purist Preamplifier: 

• Vacuum tubes: 2 x 5751, & 2 X 6414 
• Input Impedance: 100 kOhm
• Output impedance: 50 Ohms
• Freq. Response: 10 Hz - 80 KHz
• S/N ratio: typically 95 dB A WGT 20-20K
• Power consumption: 33 Watts (275mA @ 120VAC)
• Gain with FB @MIN: H=16, M=12, L=10dB
• Gain with FB @MAX: H=25. M=22, L=19dB
• Noise Floor: typically -70 dB
• Five line level inputs
• MUTE switch
• Balanced XLR & Unbalanced RCA main outs
• Precision Stepped volume control
• Record Output

 
Pictures:

 

Edited January 15, 2019 by filjorgez
sold on ebay

[filjorgez]

price drop on this preamp, plus updating the fact that it can be set for 240V

[Demondes]

Wow, just saw the date on this original ad Feb-2018  

 

This looks like a classic.  Quite a looker.

 

i guess it’s manual volume control only?

 

 

[filjorgez]

4 minutes ago, Demondes said:

Wow, just saw the date on this original ad Feb-2018  

 

This looks like a classic.  Quite a looker.

 

i guess it’s manual volume control only?

 

 

Yes it is manual volume, but with all that room in there, and the volume being on a shaft, I'm pretty sure a remote controlled volume motor could be installed. Earle Weston easily retro fitted one for me on an old valve amp of his design.

And it looks even better in the flesh, really only selling due to necessity.

Phil

[filjorgez]

Yes it is manual volume, but with all that room in there, and the volume being on a shaft, I'm pretty sure a remote controlled volume motor could be installed. Earle Weston easily retro fitted one for me on an old valve amp of his design.
And it looks even better in the flesh, really only selling due to necessity.
Phil

I was wrong, the volume pot is not on a shaft, but still there is plenty of room in there to install a remote volume if it is do-able.

[tubularbells]

9 hours ago, filjorgez said:

I was wrong, the volume pot is not on a shaft, but still there is plenty of room in there to install a remote volume if it is do-able.

 

Looks to me that the volume is already remote controllable looking at the last pic you can clearly see the motorised Alps Blue Velvet potentiometer. Maybe all you need is a suitable remote?

[filjorgez]

4 hours ago, Tubularbells said:

 

Looks to me that the volume is already remote controllable looking at the last pic you can clearly see the motorised Alps Blue Velvet potentiometer. Maybe all you need is a suitable remote?

now that's interesting, kinda makes it eminently more useful. I'll have to pop the lid again to check that out again.

thank you Doug, regards, Phil.

[filjorgez]

So here is a better shot of the Alps volume pot

[filjorgez]

and while I was in there I was going to change the voltage over from 120V. I had bought it from the States, and was happily running it on 120V in an otherwise 240 system. 

But I can not see the changeover switch referred to on the back anywhere. If it can't be changed, I will include a step down transformer for a Melbournian, or discount an interstate buyer the cost of one, to avoid posting one.