It's Been a Long Path to 'Special' Sound
Why I am so passionate about my latest StereoCoffee LDR Preamp
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Hello, I'm Chris Daly, designer of the StereoCoffee preamplifier / attenuator and I’m passionate about music …live music.
I have spent most of my life hunting for that ’special’ sound quality which transports me inside a musical moment where I forget that my audio equipment even exists. Where speakers,amplifier and distortion don’t exist, just real, live music.
I have built and tested many types of preamplifiers, amplifiers and speakers over that time with varying success. The one thing that became more and more obvious, was that it was mandatory to eliminate any interference with the audio signal, BEFORE it reached the amplifier.
Ideally, no equipment or mechanical switches or contacts would exist between the source and amplifier but how do you achieve this?
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Chris persuing his passion converting his Quad 33 preamp to StereoCoffee LDR preamp.
More than ten years ago I was studying the development of light dependent resistors and realised there was a simple way of controlling volume and switching multiple inputs without any electronic or mechanical components in the signal path. This would be a true ‘passive’ component’.
This lead to the development of the StereoCoffee LDR Passive Preamplifier for my own enjoyment.
Over the years many of my audio/music enthusiast friends have asked if I could build one for them, after hearing mine on my ESL Reference speakers.
During 2020, I designed and developed a 'predictive' current management system and timing accuracy that has taken StereoCoffee to a performance level that compares favourably with and sometimes exceeds expensive high end active valve and solid state preamplifiers at a low cost.
The StereoCoffee preamp has received excellent feedback from customers and the recently released 2023 Subterranean version allows with adjustable Volume Start Position and Bass/Mid fine tuning for the first time. NOW a passive attenuator to match or exceed the dynamics of an active preamplifier. The unique Continue circuit has given DIY builders the opportunity to adjust bass performance to suit their own preferences or system requirements.
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Thanks for Listening!
Chris
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