Cary Audio SLP-98

Art Dudley, Stereophile:
"I was about to wonder whether audiophiles are forever doomed to a hobby in which certain things—certain sounds—go in and out of fashion. But the fact is, I see that as a positive thing. Some listeners want a tube sound, others more solid-state. Others disdain both camps for wanting anything at all apart from the truth—but who's to say what that is? Smart consumers try, at one time or another, to understand all those points of view, then spend their hard-earned money on whatever makes them happiest. Where's the doom in it?
Like the blind men and the elephant, everyone comes away from an event with their own piece of the truth, and the bigger and more unfathomable the event, the smaller and more individualized everyone's truth will be. So it goes with music—and this product, like everything else, comes back with its own take. And I like it. The Cary SLP-98P plays music in a way that respects the notes and beats, and its sound respects and to some extent glorifies many of the things that I respond to in recorded music: Texture. Color. Drama. Scale.
While I've heard only a small portion of all the perfectionist audio preamps in the world, I can confidently say that the Cary SLP-98P is a distinct, and distinctly musical, choice. Far from being another me-too preamp in any way, the Cary rewards the tube-friendly listener with a view on the music that I consider not only to my taste, but truthful. That the Cary is priced fairly for what's gone into it—and a lot lower than most of its worthiest competitors—is no small blessing in itself.
A sweet little preamp? Without question."

Circuit Type: Class A Triode

Outputs: Rated 2 volts, 12 volts maximum

Gain: 20dB – Line Stage 43 dB – Phono Stage (SLP 98P only)

Noise and Hum: -88 dB below full output

Input Impedance: 50,000 Ohms – Line 47,000 Ohms – Phono

Output Impedance: 440 Ohms

Frequency Response: 5 Hz to 163,000 Hz

Tubes: 4 ea – 6SN7 Line Stage, 2 ea – 12AX7 Phono Stage, 2 ea – 12AU7 Phono buffer

Power Transformer(s): EI Laminate, 200% Duty Cycle

Resistors: 1% Metal Film

Capacitors: Polypropylene Film with hand soldered copper terminals (optional upgrades available)

Power Supply Capacitors: 4 ea – 560µF @ 400 VDC

AC Cord: 3 Conductor, Detachable

AC Power Requirements: 117/234 VAC @ 50/60 Hz

Consumption: 44 watts – Operation

Warm-Up Time: 3 Minutes

Break-In Time: 100 hours of playing time

Finish: Anthracite black chassis with silver or black aluminum faceplate

Product Type: Preamplifier

lwh: 127x317x304

Weight: 10g