Analog Gear News

British manufacturer Music First Audio, long known for their stellar preamps and the transformers that are found within them, have announced their latest phono preamp, the LP 103 LCR. Built in the company’s Rye Harbour workshop on the south coast of England, the Music First Audio LP 103 LCR phono preamp is said to have resulted from a three-year development process led by veteran designer Thorsten Loesch. (Music First Audio is owned completely by Jonathan Billington of Stevens & Billington Limited, which was founded back in 1963.)

Designed for use with both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges, the LP 103 LCR — which is available in both black and silver casing options — incorporates step-up transformers for MC duties. Gain for MM is adjustable from 30dB to 50dB in 2dB increments, with additional gain of 14dB, 20dB, or 26dB available via the MC step-up transformers. This enables users to dial in gain in a manner that best matches their respective cartridge and system requirements.

The Music First Audio LP 103 LCR phono preamp provides a wide range of cartridge-loading options. MM input resistance can be set to values between 15kohms and 100kohms, while capacitance settings range from 10pF to 470pF. Meanwhile, MC loading is adjustable between 25ohms and 4kohms, depending on the selected step-up transformer. The unit also features a mute switch, six-position resistor loading switch, six-position capacitor loading switch, a –12dB dim function (when lowering a tonearm), and mono (SUM) mode, for operational flexibility.

Inside the LP 103 LCR is a 600ohm LCR (Inductor-Capacitor-Resistor) EQ network. According to the company, said network attains a quoted accuracy of ±0.2dB across the RIAA curve. The unit also utilizes fully discrete Class A circuit topology, combining low-noise J-FET input stages with bipolar transistor-based architecture. Dual mono construction is employed throughout, with separate PCBs for left and right channels and dedicated external power supplies for each, said to help ensure optimal channel separation and noise performance.

Nichicon Muse KZ and ES electrolytic capacitors and WIMA FKP and MKP film capacitors are also onboard the LP 103 LCR. In total, the unit design features six low-noise J-FETs, 38 bipolar transistors, multiple diodes, turn-on delay ICs, and four LEDs.

In terms of specs for the LP 103 LCR, signal-to-noise ratio is given as over 70dB unweighted, and greater than 78dB A-weighted at 40dB gain. THD is given as less than 0.003%, and maximum output is +26dBu (15.5V), with an output impedance below 100ohms.

The unit also boasts dual left and right circuit boards, dual left and right power supplies, and both RCA and XLR outputs.

Finally, the Music First Audio LP 103 LCR phono preamp is available now internationally, and it sports an SRP of £7,300 (plus VAT in the UK).

For more on Music First Audio, go here.
To inquire about how to obtain Music First Audio products, go here.