A good percentage of our customers own separate preamps and amps that have been purchased in the last half century. I always have a soft spot in my heart for separates because they allow you to accomplish two things.
The first advantage of running separates is that you can get a more gutsy, ferocious power amp- by not including a preamp on the same chassis. There’s simply more room for a bigger transformer, or two. There’s more room for bigger filter caps and more output transistors. There’s also more physical room to spread components out so they can run more quiet and cool.
The second advantage of running separates is that you can dial in your sound more specifically. Every preamp, and power amp, sounds SOME different from every other. You can buy a particular preamp or amp based on what you perceive its strengths to be. Your choice may be different from your best friend, because you have different speakers and TASTES.
Since you’re a more cerebral listener who appreciates acoustic instruments and singer song writers, you might prefer this. Since your buddy is more of a raucous head banger, he might actually prefer something a little louder and nastier.
Ultimately… you buy what’s right for you.
Enter Atoll
Atoll of France makes exquisite separates (& integrateds) at fair prices. If you’re starting from square one you really can’t do better than buying an Atoll preamp and amp at anywhere near their price points. That’s because almost everything else in Atoll’s price strata is coming from China and is nowhere near the quality.
The Chinese cut corners in hardware and quality. They start with small transformers, smaller caps, cheaper surface mount parts, and run miss matched output devices. They can’t space them out so there’s more hum and noise. Keep in mind, the Chinese would love to save every ounce they can cuz they’re shipping containers of products a long way.
Since many of you have separates, you’re likely to be in a spot where you want to replace just the power amp (more likely), or just the preamp.
If you have high end separates from yesteryear, there’s a VERY high probability that any of the Atoll separates will be a nice step up. This is due to a combination of two factors.
Number one is PARTS are better today than 20+ years ago. They just are. Time marches on.
Number two is, Atoll is a unique, smart company that builds very efficiently. Atoll has a basic chassis with face plate, back plate and controls. As you go north in the line, all your extra money is going into more and better parts.
I’ve been in the biz since the early 70s in college and NEVER seen a line as well crafted as Atoll. They are so wise and efficient in their expenditure of resources, that their entry level pieces
are like a middleweight boxer instead of a flyweight. Atoll starts higher on the curve because their endemic platform is flat out smarter architecture.
Please take a look inside of the Atoll gear. The circuit boards are constructed of nickel and gold. Parts are spaced. Signals are carried on traces under the board, not a mass of spaghetti. It is this attention to detail and the expense that goes with it, that separates Atoll from the other guys.
Preamps
PR200 $1500
PR300 $2500
Atoll makes two fine preamps. You can sub either one of these in for a Hafler/Adcom/Parasound/NAD/Rotel preamp and I’ll guaranty an upgrade! No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Atoll builds circuit boards with through hole parts, huge transformers and large filter caps. These are not parts bought off a shelf. Atoll has these parts custom made for them. You’re getting Atoll designed parts from the outset, vs generic transformers and caps. The background noise is quieter with Atoll. The dynamic range jumps higher. The weight in the bass is especially robust.
Power Amps
AM100 $1500
AM200 $2200
AM300 $3900
Your old power amp is much more likely to die before your preamp does. As we meet customers who are updating separates, it is far more likely that the power amp needs to be replaced first. And that’s great, because Atoll power amps are gonna punch the lights out of your old dinosaur.
Even you you have an old Mac, Krell, Levinson or Threshold, you’ll find the new Atoll power amps will be an upgrade. Have a look inside these fabulous Atoll power amps and you’ll SEE why- even before you listen. Atolls are built exquisitely with no dental floss connecting a myriad of cheap PCBs.
All three Atoll power amps have large DUAL transformers. They’re TRUE dual mono designs. They have very clean circuit boards with very little running wire- made by hand by French humans in France. They don’t buy boards from China.
Even the base unit, AM100, is something very special. As you go north to AM200 you get bigger filter caps. As you go further to AM300, you get 25% larger transformers and filter caps as well as more output transistors.
Atoll hand matches its output transistors. Who else does?! Atoll runs MOSFET transistors and takes the time to MATCH them.
Output transistors are a bit like snowflakes. No two are EXACTLY the same. Imagine a tuning fork that is supposed to play at a particular frequency. Suppose the frequencies don’t sync precisely among many transistors. Then you’ll hear the distortion among the differences.
That distortion results in harshness. The more power and transistors you have, the more grainy and annoying it will sound. Atoll groups transistors within tiny windows of behavior. Given how tightly spec’d they’re run, for all practical purposes there are no differences within each matched group. This matching insures that your sound will be smooth and musical, instead of edgy.
While this pays benefits with every amp, it is especially beneficial with high powered amps. The more devices you run, the more important the matching is.
With many companies, their 50w amp isn’t too bad. The 100w version is louder but harsher. The 150w version can be downright nasty- but it does play louder. With Atoll, the models are equally smooth and palatable.
Upgrading
Whether you need to upgrade now because your amp has broken, or you just want to IMPROVE, I suggest you go with Atoll.
You’ll find the Atoll power amps will sound heavier and smoother than your old amp X.
You’ll find the Atoll preamps will give you more intimacy in your music. The attacks on guitar strings are more distinct. The hammers hitting cords in the piano are more precise. Vocals POP from the BLACK background better.
Think of the power amp as the steak. Think of the preamp as the seasoning on the steak.
In a world of Chinese mediocrity, Atoll of France, with a 3 year warranty, is a welcome AFFORDABLE breath of fresh air.