Vacuum tube preamplifier with external regulated vacuum tube power supply

The vacuum tube preamplifier Syrinx S accompanies Reinhard Gundlach’s triode power amplifiers Satie Mono 22 S as his second masterpiece.
It comprises an excellent phono equalizer and a line preamplifier.
A separate cabinet contains the regulated vacuum tube power supply.
As standard with Consequence Audio, both double cabinets (of the audio amplifier and the power supply) consist of a chassis containing the electrical circuit and a luxurious outer enclosure with a high gloss lacquered wooden frame and mirror finished palladium plated metal surfaces.

The enormous input of technical complexity, mechanical stability and material cost is exceptional – just as the outstanding sound.

Sound
It is common knowledge among analog listeners that shaping excellent sound quality requires an elaborately adapted phono equalizer. Supposedly ‘correct’ signals of digital sources, however, are often neglected with the argument that a line preamplifier is dispensable because it adds its own sound character.
While the phono equalizer of the Syrinx S is musically beyond any reasonable doubt, the ‘sound’ of the Syrinx S line stage can be described as follows:
It is as if every single note became enhanced, modeled delicately, oscillating naturally and decaying with control. The sound stage gains extension in all dimensions, surrounding the listener by positioning instruments and voices at tangibly close range. Bountiful tone colors enrich the music. An increased dynamic produces a more realistic, more stable acoustic image. The musical event becomes holographic. Even deep-voiced instruments such as double basses gain 3-dimensional contour. Solo singers and choirs resound excitingly vivid and natural. The entire musical reproduction becomes stunningly credible, more ‘analog’.

Cai Brockmann acclaims the Syrinx (together with the Mono 22 Spower amplifiers) in image hifi 3/2006:

 „Especially with good classical productions the amplifiers reveal their full potential. The spatial extent of the sound stage created by the Syrinx/Satie combination is exemplary. The 3-dimensional contours of instruments and vocalists are razor sharp and solidly anchored as if chiseled from stone. And with respect to spectacular energy, flashing dynamic, fluorescent and bewitching tone colors, these Consequence Audio masterpieces are second to none.“
Construction

The music signal finds its way through the audio stage predominantly on silver conductors. Even underneath the circuit boards it flows through fine silver wires. The ground and power supply lines are silvered as well.
The expensive „Supreme Silver-Gold“ capacitors are coiled up of silver-plated foil. The phono equalizer, which demanded the largest effort in development and workmanship, is based on classical circuits employed in legendary preamps by McIntosh and Marantz. The phono stage of the Syrinx S does not contain vintage parts susceptible to noise and specification tolerances. State-of-the-art modern components such as silver-mica-capacitors and non-magnetic Vishay-Dale resistors are used instead. Their low tolerances and precision poses challenges to any testing device.

 The volume control is constructed as a 24-step level actuator containing as many as 120 single resistors. The precision switch is Swiss-made by ELMA, just as the input selector. Both are connected via double Cardan joints to the massive front side controls.

Heart of the external power supply is a stabilized high voltage circuit. It comprises as many as four vacuum tubes and delivers the adjustable, perfectly constant and noise-free operating voltage for the phono stage. Equally rectified and regulated are all other supply voltages of the six preamplifier vacuum tubes (‘new old stock’ of General Electrics).

Syrinx LS
Vacuum tube line preamplifier

The line stage of the Syrinx S preamplifier is also available without phono stage, as the pure line preamplifier Syrinx LS. It contains the identical circuitry of the Syrinx S, using the same audiophile components. The Syrinx LS has an integrated vacuum tube power supply in a single enclosure.