Atoll PR300, $3100

Atoll actually designs and builds its products, in its own house in France, with a 3 year warranty. PR300 is Atoll’s new balanced preamp and can go in the best of systems. Let’s take a look.

First of all, the $3100 price tag is in line stage configuration. Atoll doesn’t know if you want phono built in or not. If you do, it’s only $130 more for the MM preamp. Why only $130? That’s because the fabulous infrastructure is already in place. All you need to do is buy the phono board.

When you buy a stand alone phono preamp you have to pay for a chassis, face plate, jacks on the back and of course, a substantial power supply. PR300 already has that ready to rock. Adding the Atoll phono board is a steal at $130.

You want a DAC? Atoll offers two options that you can build in. Both feature AKM DACs that Atoll runs without negative feedback. Atoll takes great pride in voicing its DACs to sound musically warm instead of sterile.

DA100 runs $300. It has two coax and two OPT inputs.

DA200 runs $500. It has two coax, two OPTs, USB-B and Bluetooth.

Power Supply

PR300 runs FOUR transformers. High quality transformers are assigned specific tasks to provide circuit isolation and cleaner sound.

Two toroids are 10VA for audio stages.

One toroid is 10VA for control logic.

One additional 3.2VA transformer is used for digital stages.

PR300 runs a massive array of filter caps, 89,000uF! This heavy load of caps is quite generous for a preamp. 89,000uF is more of what you would expect in a 200×2, $3000 power amp! Atoll runs the chunky supply to control ripple and provide deep bass impact.

Important Build Features

• PR300 runs four high quality, MKP coupling caps- shielded in their own mumetal boxes to quash any possibility of generating RF.

• PR300 is a dual mono, symmetrical structure. There are two independent stages for each channel.

• PR300’s volume control runs in the analog domain.

• PR300 has a balance control.

• PR300 allows you to rename inputs.

• PR300 has a marvelous headphone amp on board, 1/4” connection.

• PR300 features two output triggers.

• PR300 comes with an Atoll system remote.

Inputs

*One set of XLRs

*5 line inputs (Aux, CD, Tuner, DVD, Full Tape Loop!)

*If you add the phono board it takes up the Aux input

*Bypass input

Outputs

*Two sets of RCA outputs

*One set of XLR outputs

Sound Quality

PR300 is a dead quiet preamp. Once you get to hearing NO noise floor endemic to the preamp, the actual number is moot. The Swiss preamps for $70k brag about having the lowest noise floor. They might measure a hair lower than an Atoll, but I’ll save the $67k, thank you very much!

PR300’s black background allows transients to POP realistically as a plucked guitar string does in real life. When the noise floor is gray instead of black, transients are muffled. Further, when you have a group of singers performing, it’s more easy to appreciate the differences among voices as opposed to them sounding more en masse.

PR300 delivers a deep, heavy, solid bass impact. Bass is the foundation of virtually all music.

So it’s important to get this right and tight. If you appreciate the personality of the lower register of the piano, having a big time power supply is imperative in your preamp as well as your power amp. If you love a drum kit with impactful octane, your preamp is equally important as the power amp in delivering it.

PR300 features a smooth midrange and high end with no bite. This is perfect for acoustic instruments and voices. Preamps with skimpy power supplies skew music thinner and less warm. PR300 can front the best of power amps and allow you not to have to pay double or triple the price in the process.

Balanced

Hopefully you’ve noticed that PR300 is fully balanced. You can attain the lowest noise floor and best dynamics by running a balanced preamp/amp combo. PR300 can shake hands with whatever power amp you own. Running XLRs get you superior performance.

And of course… Atoll builds its spectacular AM300 power amp! If you’d like to have Bryston or McIntosh level performance for half the price, Atoll is made for you!