Bakoon Products PRE-5440 High-End Preamp

The PRE-5440 was developed as a preamplifier to be used with the AMP-5570. The circuit is a development of the SATRI-IC of the PRE-5410 and uses the latest HIBIK(I)-IC and HBFBC-IC circuits introduced in the AMP-5570 power amplifier for input and output. The HIBIK(I)-IC eliminates the need to convert the voltage signal from the CDP into a current signal. The HBFBC-IC chip is a new generation buffer circuit that Bakoon amplifier is proud of. The accuracy of the PRE-5440 is definitely improved compared to the PRE-5410 by using the HBFBC.

The front panel has three UNBALANCED RCA and two BALANCED XLR input selector switches. The red switch next to the volume is the mute switch. The display is a 9-digit blue LED with a CPU controller; when the input selector switch is released on BALNACED XLR1, the display window shows bL1 and the volume position. The discrete digital attenuator is also on the PRE-5410, but the one on the 5440 is more precise and has 0.5dB steps. The operation of the preamplifier is controlled by the CPU, which displays attenuation, input, and mute operation.

Digitally controlled attenuator

The volume control uses almost the same digitally controlled attenuator used in the previous PRE-5410 MK3, but the main circuit, power supply, and controls have been completely redesigned and upgraded. The main circuit uses one conventional top-of-the-line integrated chip SATRI-IC-UL for each channel and two new HBFBC-ICs for each channel. The PRE-5440 is an ultra-precise attenuator that achieves an attenuation error of within 0.1db.

New input/output system

The new product is a bold move to use XLR inputs and outputs in order to attract new high-end users, but instead of using XLR, current transmission (SATRI-LINK) was omitted. The use of XLR is a significant change of direction, but it also allows the user to enjoy the sound quality changes that can be achieved with various RCA and XLR cables, which were not possible with SATRI-LINK. The adoption of XLR is a major change of direction, but it has been well received by the users of the flagship AMP-5570, which was released earlier.

The AMP-5570 supports three RCA inputs and two XLR inputs, and the RCA and XLR outputs are simultaneous and have exactly the same gain, allowing for bi-amplified connections. output. The length and width are 44 cm and 36 cm, the same as the AMP-5570. As 10 cm high, it is 3 cm higher than the existing PRE-5410 MK3.

Maximum Output	10V
Distortion(1KHz)	0.0077% /1V
S/N Ratio	-120dB
Frequency Response	10Hz~100KHz
Phase Characteristics	0° /20KHz
Dimensions	W440x H10x D360mm
Weight	5.1kg
Power source	100V/50,60Hz, 110V, 220V, 240V

*Bakoon Products will gradually change its logo and name to SCL (SATRI Circuit Laboratory). Please note that the logo and name will be changed to SCL (SATRI Circuit Laboratory) in due course.

When I was listening to AMP-5570 alone, I thought that the violin sound was just a "high note," but I realized that it was actually bowed at a very high speed. This is the moment when the so-called "inaudible sound" is heard. The drum beat, like a heartbeat, is also definitely changed. The sound image becomes a little smaller, but instead it is more dense, with an increased sense of impact. The entire stage seems larger because all sounds are clearer. Vocals are more vibrant with an increased sense of openness, and the energy is more palpable. The overall center of gravity is also lower. In fact, I did not feel that the center or pitch of the sound was higher when the AMP-5570 was driven alone, but when the PRE-5440 was added, there was room for the center of gravity to drop even further. The bass was low, like a kick drum, going down to the floor. One of the main features of the PRE-5440 is to make the space vast. The drum sounds became even more expansive with the addition of the PRE-5440, and when the volume was turned up a bit, one could hear the drum sounds spreading out into the space like a holographic image. The energy of the sound coming out on the jazz saxophone (not the volume) feels much louder. The center of gravity of the piano has also been lowered further for better stability. The ability to express nuance and detail in this energy is another noteworthy aspect of the PRE-5440.