Karan Acoustics Master Collection LINEa & PSUa

We proudly present the first product from our new 30th Anniversary – Master Collection
range – a state of the art line preamplifier with an outboard power supply unit. We believe
this product truly is our “state of the art statement” as every aspect of it reflects 30 years of
our knowledge, experience and learning about design and manufacturing execution of
uncompromised high-end audio instruments. Our choice of very best passive and active
components is a result of endless subjective evaluations and laboratory measurements.
Many components from reputable manufacturers have been produced to our proprietary
specifications. Particular attention has been given to the topology of printed circuit boards
as that happens to be crucial for the best sound quality. Our printed circuit boards are made
out of very particular isolation raw material with all copper traces having a thickness of
75um (preamplifiers) and 120um (power supply units and amplifiers). We also exceeded all
our previous efforts in the area of design and manufacturing of chassis. In addition to an
exceptional aesthetics, the highest available quality aluminium has been used for best
acoustic properties and least sensitivity to RF and EMF effects to the circuits therein. Not
only, very special components for positioning and placement of PCBs inside the chassis have
been implemented in order to further reduce negative mechanical side effects. This, in turn,
preserves transient speed, energy, clarity, definition, focus, microdynamics, true harmonic
structure of music and overall musicality of the recordings played back. After extensive
evaluations, we chose to use CMS (Critical Mass Systems) CS2 isolation/support feet for all
our Master Collection products. They exhibit a minimal transfer of mechanical and airborne
resonances and feedback to the chassis and electronic circuits inside. Preamplifiers and
power supply units have CS2-1.0 isolation/support feet, while all power amplifier use the
larger CS2-1.5 model. All our components are internally wired with Cardas Audio pure
copper chassis wire.


All electronic circuits have been designed in active class A with no global feedback. This
concept eliminates inter-modular distortion (IMD) and all circuits are entirely symmetrical,
truly differential (balanced) and DC coupled (no capacitors anywhere along the audio signal
route). DC offsets are controlled by proprietary DC servo circuits. Our fully complementary
design topology with smallest possible tolerances ensure the perfect balance between the
positive and negative audio signal yielding absolutely identical amount of any distortion,
noise or interferences that could arise on both signal polarities. Perfect balance of this kind
mutually cancels all the unwanted signal by-products, leaving just the purest audio to reach
our ears. The output level of the signal (volume control) has been designed as a 4x fully
balanced (symmetrical) attenuator with ultra-fast relays and custom made, non-magnetic
resistors (0.1% tolerance). Both the remote control handset and the main control panel of
the preamplifier provide a “mute” function and, even more importantly, (on the remote
control handset) the absolute polarity (phase) selection. This gives every user an
opportunity to select the correct polarity for different recordings (both analogue and digital)
as there is no adopted standard among the recording studios and record labels. The
preamplifier is linear +0/-3dB from 1.5Hz to 3MHz. Extremely fast and DC coupled circuits
guarantee no phase shift of the audio signal or any time aberration within the full audio
bandwidth, virtues so important in order to retain a very precise and accurate 3D rendition
with very holographic spatial positioning of all the musicians and instruments within a
recording. Our all voltage amplifier and output stages use active components capable of
transient speed between 30 and 65MHz, all with very close tolerance and designed with
lots of attention to finest details, all in order to create and preserve a unique musical
experience. The amplitude frequency response is much broader than the audio domain
which enables the audio instrument to reproduce all high and low harmonics of
fundamental tones (without delay, phase instability and amplitude), often outside the top
and bottom extremes of the audio spectrum. Without the correct reproduction of all those
harmonics, it is not possible to reproduce precise and accurate tonality and intonation of
any musical instrument! Extremely high transient speed combined with a very low noise
brings to all our products an unbelievable amount of low-level detail resolution and
completely disposes of any masking of true musical information stored in so many available
recordings of, equally so, simple and complex musical pieces.


We must not forget the fundamental importance of power supplies, their circuits and
components used. All our power supplies have been designed with fastest rectifiers and
with minimal internal impedance. Huge capacitance reserves give fast and dynamically
correct response and enormous headroom when complex and multi-layered musical
contents need to be dealt with. As many as nine (9) stages of current-voltage filtration and
regulation per channel, as well as separate supplies for each audio channel (separate
transformers and regulation circuits) have been implemented. Needless to say, all our digital
circuits, input selection and illuminated displays have their own, dedicated, separate
transformers, regulation and filtration.


All our products are truly hand assembled from carefully chosen and tested components to
the finished unit. Each sample of any of our products undergoes an extensive measurement
and listening tests before it leaves the factory towards its final destination.


Our Master Collection range will grow slowly and consistently over the next few years. The
LINEa/PSUa preamplifier will be followed by the single-chassis LINEb line preamplifier. After
that, we will bring to life our final statement among phono preamplifiers PHONOa/PSUa (3
phono inputs, RIAA, EMI, DECCA, COLUMBIA and TELDEC eq curve selection and absolute
polarity selection). A single-chassis phono preamplifier PHONOb (1 phono input, 5 eq curves
and absolute polarity selection). Finally, two new mono and two stereo amplifiers will round
off the portfolio – POWERa mono, POWERb mono, POWERa and POWERb.


In our attempt to bring all the emotions stored within so many fine recordings of all genres
of music and let you, the music lover and listener, infinitely enjoy your music collection at a,
so far, unsurpassed level of pleasure and joy, we have put all our knowledge, experience
and love for the music into the design and execution of our new 30th Anniversary – Master
Collection. We hope you will enjoy using our musical instruments as much as we enjoyed
creating them.


Milan Karan
Karan Acoustics