Atoll PR300 Stereo Preamp, $3100

Made in France!

I read a lot of audio magazines. You learn a little here/there in most of them. A common question as you read, is- where are the good stereo preamps?

I have always wondered why guys who write for Stereophile only seem to know about preamps that run $30-90k. Seriously?!

Atoll has reset the bar for GREAT sounding, AFFORDABLE solid state preamps! PR300 is a case in point right here. The best way to describe PR300 is that it’s a GIANT KILLER!

PR300 is $3100 in line stage configuration. That may be all you need. Why pay for the extras if you don’t need them?

Yet Atoll is SMART. You can add a DA100 DAC board (Coax/OPT) for $300. Or you can add a DA200 DAC board (Coax/OPT/USB/BT) for $500. You can also add a P50 MM phono board for $130. So you build your own pizza and don’t pay out the wazoo for options that are unnecessary for YOU.

The sound of PR300 is clean, quiet and muscular. If you compare PR300 to old school designs, or flimsy Chinese built preamps, you won’t believe the difference. The sound of your preamp is a result of what’s under the hood. Please take a look at the innards below. What Atoll provides is nothing short of phenomenal for your dollar!

PR300 brings more weight and impact to your party than the cheap pile of chips you get from the other side of the world.

PR300 is no Plain Jane. It starts with a massive power supply. PR300 runs FOUR transformers! Two are 10VA toroidals for the audio stages. It has a 3.2VA for the digital stage if you add the DAC. It has a 5VA for the control logic. The filter capacitance is 89,000uF. That is more like what you’d expect for a 200×2 power amp. It’s absolutely unheard of in an affordable preamp. But Atoll feels the array of transformers and big caps are essential for generating the powerful and dynamic sound PR300 produces.

If you take a look inside preamps from the Chinese, you’ll be shocked at how empty the box is. The typical Chinese built preamp is a pile of chips with tiny transformer and caps. There’s no surprise as to how Atoll achieves its robust sound!

PR300 goes further. It uses an array of MKP Mundorf caps that are housed in their own metal casing, so they won’t interfere with other components on the PCB. Who else goes to this effort at any price? PR300 has a precision tracking ALPs volume control. All Atolls are built on sturdy metal chassis. Atoll can do this because of their efficiency of manufacturing. Further, they don’t waste money on feet that look like sculptures or remotes you can throw through a window at Ft. Knox.

If you have separates, it’s time to pay serious attention to your preamp. You may have something that looks nice but has trinkets inside. Especially if your preamp is a decade or more old, it’s time to re-evaluate. PR300 will give you a quiet background with deep, tight bass. Unless you have a preamp that says Bryston on the front panel, Atoll is likely to give you a nice upgrade at a reasonable price tag.

A PR300 made today will beat virtually ANY preamp made a decade or more ago. It’s no surprise that the state of the art of PARTS has improved dramatically over the years. Atoll implements them with a high testosterone power supply and unsurpassed board architecture. The value Atoll offers is unassailable!