Self on Audio, 3rd Edition

Chapter 2High-performance preamplifier

Low-cost design with active gain control (Wireless World, February 1979)

Intended title: An Economical High-Performance Preamplifier

This was my first preamplifier design to be published that might be called ‘conventional’ in its use of discrete transistors. It was my own reaction to the relative complexity of the discrete opamp based Advanced Preamplifier just described; I set out to produce a preamplifier that was relatively conventional, in that its stages used only two or three transistors, to see just how good it could be. At that time, the available opamps were looked at with entirely justified suspicion; they were relatively noisy and prone to crossover distortion in their output stages. Crossover ...