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  Stereo Products > Trio P-200 Stereo Preamplifier P200 more info Starting at just $995.00!  The Trio P200 preamplifier is one of the greatest low cost preamplifier ever built. Fully balanced from input to output and using PS Audio’s exclusive Gain Cell technology, the P200 represents the height of value in a component based system.The preamplifier is the heart of any AV system. It controls which sources are going to be listened to (CD player, tuner, phono, etc.) and how loud they will be played. In concept, the preamplifier is a simple input switching device that controls the volume of the system. In practice it is anything but simple. Great sound can be elusive if every component in the system isn’t up to the task of presenting music without degradation. The preamplifier, which every source passes through is especially critical in this scenario. The P200, while inexpensive, is a fully built excellent performer that provides everything you need in a basic system. The P200 passes music without degradation and because of the internal analog Gain Cells that control the level to your system, you have unmatched sonic resolution at your fingertips. On the back panel of the P200 are four inputs. Three are single ended RCA types and the fourth is a balanced XLR type. There are also two outputs on the P200, a balanced XLR output as well as a single ended RCA type. Inside the P200 the inputs are selected through 24k gold plated relays and the level is adjusted through our  unique Gain Cell technology.The new Gain Cell™ IS the preamp If you have a chance to read about any of our new power amplifiers, integrateds or multi-channel amplifiers, you’ll know that the Gain Cell™ is the heart of these products. The P200 preamplifier is even simpler: inside there are two Gain Cells and not a whole lot more. We don't 'throw away' the signal to control the volume The P200 preamplifier has no old fashioned volume element or attenuator inside. Instead the P200 has a pair of Gain Cells and a front panel control (or remote) to adjust the Cell’s gain. It’s that simple. We do not attenuate or 'throw away' volume, we change the preamp's gain to produce the exact volume you want in your system. It's a very different concept and one important to understand if you are to appreciate the beauty of the Gain Cell. Why do we say 'throwing away volume'? In a typical preamplifier, once the input has been selected, the preamp’s internal gain stage amplifies the signal at a constant level. You then need to add a volume control or attenuator, either before or after this stage to “throw away” whatever signal you don’t want. All volume controls, regardless of their design, attenuate or lower the signal level by redirecting the audio to  ground. When they do this they add a sonic signature that is undesirable. Even the finest volume controls add distortion and sonic grunge to the signal because they introduce another element in the signal path. The difference in sound between this revolutionary new approach and any other preamp is huge. Traditional volume and balance controls do nothing but degrade the audio signal. Without this degradation the amount and quality of musical information is staggering. You have no idea what you were missing until you hear it reproduced by the P200. The key is the Gain Cell The Gain Cell™ is the single most revolutionary advancement in analog audio design since PS Audio was founded in 1973. Not just a gain stage, the Gain Cell represents an entirely new way of thinking about audio amplification. Gain Cells are not based on the traditional gain block that uses varying amounts of feedback to control the gain, as is typical in solid state and tube designs. In fact, the Gain Cells are entirely different in their concept and operation and perform mostly in the current mode rather than the voltage mode. The PS Audio Gain Cell is a single block of analog gain in a potted module. You can place any size signal into the Gain Cell’s input, from any source (balanced or not), and the Gain Cell will handle that input with near perfection. In fact, you can place up to 10 volts rms into the Gain Cell with no problem whatsoever. For reference, a typical CD or DVD player outputs perhaps 2 volts rms, some Audiophile DAC’s can produce a whopping 5 volts rms, but the Gain Cell won’t care. Once the Gain Cell has received the input, you can adjust the gain of the Cell anywhere from -100dB (essentially no gain) to +30dB instantly; and because the Gain Cell is 100% analog there are no steps in the gain. This means that you can adjust the gain in increments smaller than a thousandth of a dB if you wanted to (a gain step this small is undetectable by the human ear). Further, the performance of the Gain Cell does not vary with gain. Wherever the Gain Cell is set it will perform identically, so from the loudest to the softest gain, the Gain Cell will sound identical. A major sonic value The P200, with it’s gorgeous sound and exemplary performance is a wonderful product whose value is hard  to match at any price.The P200 comes complete with a remote control that selects any of its four inputs as well as the level of the Gain Cell. Call your dealer or call us, but check out the P200 Preamplifier today. It really doesn’t get a lot better than this. |
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