Wyred 4 Sound mPRE: Pre-amp, DAC - Dual Mono!

A pre-amplifier plays a crucial role in any HiFi system. Its job is rather simple, but developing a component that is able to attenuate a signal without adding coloration, distortion, or any other undesirable attributes is a delicate matter. We began by designing a fully balanced circuit from input to output which actively rejects noise and lowers distortion. The perceivable sonic benefits of the balanced architecture will be evident in both lower background noise and finer detail. The analog volume control design is very similar in principle to the award winning STP-SE. Additionally the pre-amp has been equipped with completely separate right and left channels which starts with the power supplies. As a result of the absolute channel separation and excellent channel matching our new mPRE produces holographic imaging that is apparent even at low listening levels. The fully balanced, dual mono, dual differential circuit design is unheard of at this price point. It implements over 80 FET's which are paralleled up for much lower noise and increased current output. The character of this unit is beautifully transparent and natural. Input and output stages have been incorporated to preserves sonic integrity throughout the circuit. Because of the extravagant design you will have the option to pair this pre-amp with anything from W4S solid state gear to tube equipment with excellent results.

This state-of-the-art pre-amp has a built-in DAC with three inputs which includes toslink, coaxial and USB. All of which support 24 bit 192kHz streaming. The ESS Sabre DAC utilizes Hyperstream™ and Jitter Elimination Architecture rendering it immune to jitter. The USB interface is derived from the latest asynchronous XMOS design which is certified USB 2.0 High Speed and Audio Class 2.0 compliant. Consequently our mPRE requires a quick driver install for PC machines and is driverless for Mac (10.6.4 and above) as well as Linux systems. Incredibly low latency in conjunction with the asynchronous mode of communication and ultra precise clocks permits for an exceptionally high quality level of digital streaming. A pre-amp of this caliber and flexibility will efficiently improve your system.

The mPRE is equipped with a total of 3 analog inputs and outputs. Two of the analog inputs are RCA and one can be configured as Home Theater bypass. The two RCA outputs are typical pre-outs and one set can be configured as a fixed out. Finishing it off is the XLR input and outputs which use high quality Neutrik connectors to couple the purely balanced circuit with any other components you may have. Due to the extent of this first-class design, single ended to balanced conversion comes at no extra charge and ensures that all outputs are active regardless of the input signal type. You can be confident that the signal path for your analog sources is highly refined regardless of the source.

On the occasion that you are craving a headphone listening session, the mPRE has a ¼” headphone jack in the front panel so you can plug right into a high performance amp. The execution is nothing short of impressive. Independent power supplies and volume controls offer incredibly low crosstalk, and noise. All of these benefits the preamp offers will be even more apparent with the headphone stage that can also deliver an abundance of dynamic range which makes for a true hi fidelity headphone experience. The unit is even capable of driving headphones down in the 16ohm range.

Finally, the chassis design is attractive and functional. A front view of the unit reveals only two screws tucked neatly in the rear of the top cover. The front panel is meticulously machined from a solid piece of ¾” aluminum, line grained, and anodized in black. A radius on either side of the front panel rounds the corners off elegantly where the side extrusions extend to the rear of the unit and sport the same high quality anodized finish. The top cover is available in clear anodize (Silver) or black and has stylish venting allowing heat to escape. The chassis is formed from steel, powder coated black, and has venting in both the bottom and rear to attribute to passive cooling of the internal circuitry. You can be sure that the chassis is very rigid and immune to frequencies and vibrations which can be generated by the various components in a HiFi system.

mPRE Features
Fully balanced, Dual mono design
Next generation input and output buffers
Built-in ESS DAC which supports 24 bit 192 kHz on all digital inputs
Asynchronous USB input which supports Windows machines, is driverless for Mac, and supports Linux
Headphone amplifier
Remote Control
12V DC trigger input and output
Efficient (no heat)
Fully balanced input to output
Discrete input and output buffers
Unbalanced to balanced conversion (when RCA input selected and XLR outputs are being used)
Robust construction
Machined and anodized aluminum front panel, top, and sides
100kΩ input impedance
1 set of balanced (XLR) inputs
1 set of balanced (XLR) outputs
2 sets of unbalanced (RCA) inputs (one is selectable as HT bypass)
2 sets of unbalanced (RCA) outputs (one is selectable as a fixed 2.0V output)
Home Theater Bypass
External selectable voltage mains 115/230VAC
Compact size (8"W x 3.5"H x 8"D)
8 lbs.
Covered by a 5 YEAR WARRANTY