This is going to sound very odd but this is for sale as a stunning dead preamp. It does work but a couple of months after getting it back from some extensive expertly done recapping mods the pre climbs to full volume of its own accord after about 20 minutes - this is possibly not connected. A local engineer had it for months, did nothing with it and forgot it had been recapped as a point for investigation. So where are we with this. All the electrolytics are new and in some cases very rare stock. The bits of tape are just as the new caps are fractionally higher. The first audio engineer that did the recap got the circuit plans from Perreaux who were very helpful. This guy that did the recap liked it so much he painstaking cut the transfers off the old black caps and reapplied them to the new, so that aesthetically the pre looked right. The lid just slides off. Elegant design.
The on board phono stage too is astonishing. This with the mods was reference level and sounded incredible until it went pear shaped. It sat with this fault under my coffee table mid 2016 before I got swept away with a new lady, forgot about it, got dumped in 2017 it got nasty and I got lazy and miserable, and now happier me has decided to have a clear out 2022. It's not been used beyond a honeymoon period before the problem started.
So dug it out from under the same coffee table on the advice of Bob ICHM, and I'm selling it as a fixer upper for less than I spent on the mods! Detailed below. £300. It's cheap.
I'd rather meet part way or collect (Bolton) as the postal bellends managed to bend a rack ear on its way down to London for the mods (pictured) If this is a simple fix you've probably got one of the best Pre's money can buy, so it's worth a gamble...
Please no approaches to the chap that did the mods, as his remit after 6 years is nil. Plus PLEASE no bragging rights on here if it was only a potentiometer!
The spendy bit on top of what the pre cost me! (I'd rather not think about it) as follows...
1. Phono Stage
Replace all electrolytic caps with Elna Silmics, Panasonic FC and Nichicon KZ capacitors. As discussed, there is not enough room to replace all the coupling caps with anything better and there are coupling caps between each stage of amplification and mounting caps on longer leads is likely to give higher hum and thus negate any advantages. The above caps represent upgrades on the originals.
2. Main Pre Stage
Replace all electrolytics with Panasonic FC and Elna Silmic caps. Replace input and output coupling caps with Leclanche film /foil caps. These caps are a great upgrade and won't be imported any more once stocks run out. A great shame. I'll have to find another supplier. Not the cheapest but among the very best.
3. Main Power Supply
Replace 12 main electrolytic capacitors with Panasonic caps. Replace stock rectifiers with Fairchild ultrafast diodes. The fact of these is lower noise floor and less grain in the music.
4. Other /Input Switch
Clean pcbs and clean input sector switch with contact cleaner.
5. Bias Circuit
Replace electrolytic capacitors with Elna Silmics and replace standard diodes with ultrafast.
Total parts £ 186.02
Labour 4hrs £ 200.00
Grand total: £386.02
Review here... This was $1800 in 1987! http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/perreaux-sm3-131.html
The on board phono stage too is astonishing. This with the mods was reference level and sounded incredible until it went pear shaped. It sat with this fault under my coffee table mid 2016 before I got swept away with a new lady, forgot about it, got dumped in 2017 it got nasty and I got lazy and miserable, and now happier me has decided to have a clear out 2022. It's not been used beyond a honeymoon period before the problem started.
So dug it out from under the same coffee table on the advice of Bob ICHM, and I'm selling it as a fixer upper for less than I spent on the mods! Detailed below. £300. It's cheap.
I'd rather meet part way or collect (Bolton) as the postal bellends managed to bend a rack ear on its way down to London for the mods (pictured) If this is a simple fix you've probably got one of the best Pre's money can buy, so it's worth a gamble...
Please no approaches to the chap that did the mods, as his remit after 6 years is nil. Plus PLEASE no bragging rights on here if it was only a potentiometer!
The spendy bit on top of what the pre cost me! (I'd rather not think about it) as follows...
1. Phono Stage
Replace all electrolytic caps with Elna Silmics, Panasonic FC and Nichicon KZ capacitors. As discussed, there is not enough room to replace all the coupling caps with anything better and there are coupling caps between each stage of amplification and mounting caps on longer leads is likely to give higher hum and thus negate any advantages. The above caps represent upgrades on the originals.
2. Main Pre Stage
Replace all electrolytics with Panasonic FC and Elna Silmic caps. Replace input and output coupling caps with Leclanche film /foil caps. These caps are a great upgrade and won't be imported any more once stocks run out. A great shame. I'll have to find another supplier. Not the cheapest but among the very best.
3. Main Power Supply
Replace 12 main electrolytic capacitors with Panasonic caps. Replace stock rectifiers with Fairchild ultrafast diodes. The fact of these is lower noise floor and less grain in the music.
4. Other /Input Switch
Clean pcbs and clean input sector switch with contact cleaner.
5. Bias Circuit
Replace electrolytic capacitors with Elna Silmics and replace standard diodes with ultrafast.
Total parts £ 186.02
Labour 4hrs £ 200.00
Grand total: £386.02
Review here... This was $1800 in 1987! http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/perreaux-sm3-131.html
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