new model Nina, tube tape head preamp

Tube Nirvana

New Member
Oct 22, 2015
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www.erhard-audio.com
After about 2 years in the making, we have finally released our model Nina, tube tape head preamp.
This really is an excellent sounding tube tape head preamp, and a real and viable alternative to your reel to reel decks OEM playback preamp.
I will not go into a lot of details here, please visit our website, click here, for all the tech details and pricing.
This is the wood chassis version, the 2U standard width and 8" deep rack mount chassis will be available in a couple of weeks or so.

Nina-w.jpg Nina-w 1.jpg
 

JEJEJEJ

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Jan 1, 2021
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I need a recording preamp. Does your unit offer recording as well as playback, or only playback?
 

stellavox

Well-Known Member
Apr 23, 2010
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Hi and welcome to the fray!

Just checked your website and only the rack mounted unit is shown with no pricing.
How do you allow adjustment for HF (and maybe LF) equalization?

Best

Charles
 

Foxbat

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Jun 11, 2020
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I like the fact there are now many options on the market. I hope more are coming, as many people feel this is the best way of listening to your prerecorded tapes.

Victor Khomenko
Balanced Audio Technology
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
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I like the fact there are now many options on the market. I hope more are coming, as many people feel this is the best way of listening to your prerecorded tapes.

Victor Khomenko
Balanced Audio Technology

Hello Victor,

I agree!

I will be surveying the available tape preamp options later this year for a fully-reconditioned Studer A820.
 

Foxbat

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Jun 11, 2020
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Hi Ron,

The A820 is one of those models that will greatly benefit from such a step. It has fantastic transport and heads, but its audio electonics is overburdened with conveniences and features. I am still trying to win a lottery, but at this time my two main transports are the A80R with Sepia direct output cards, and the A810 with direct internal wiring.

Victor
 

Ron Resnick

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Jan 24, 2015
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Thank you, Victor.
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
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There is the Merrill, the Doshi, the Bottlehead, the King Cello, the de Havilland, I think, and this Nina.
 

Foxbat

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Jun 11, 2020
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Head preamp also makes an interesting project for a DIY. Many available phono stages can be modified to provide tape EQ.
 

audioguy1958

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2015
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Hello Victor,

I agree!

I will be surveying the available tape preamp options later this year for a fully-reconditioned Studer A820.
Congratulations Ron on the A820. They're becoming so rare that I doubt I'll ever hear one at this point. Also extremely expensive I'm sure. Have you started a tape collection yet?
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
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Congratulations Ron on the A820. They're becoming so rare that I doubt I'll ever hear one at this point. Also extremely expensive I'm sure. Have you started a tape collection yet?

Thank you. I actually had two A820s. Unfortunately, due to the stock market crash last March, I had to sell possibly the lowest mileage, most perfect condition A820 Mk. II (with black wood trim) in the world. It reputedly was one of Mariah Carey's personal tape machines. I intended to keep this machine stock (with only capacitors and bearings replaced) basically as a nearly new-in-box museum piece, and to compare directly stock audio electronics with outboard tape preamplifiers. Here is a photo of this machine the day it left my house:


595A99D3-4842-4DA3-809A-F556027EB565.jpeg

Charlie Bolois, of Vertigo Recording in Burbank, California, is fully reconditioning an A820 I purchased from Ki Choi. That machine will be modified to optimize playback with an external tape preamplifier. The only open question is which preamp to get.

Yes, I started a tape collection, and it was completed in 2019. My entire tape project was narrow, and focused on a particular 30ips safety copy collection I was able to purchase.
 
Last edited:

microstrip

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May 30, 2010
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Thank you. I actually had two A820s. Unfortunately, due to the stock market crash last March, I had to sell possibly the lowest mileage, most perfect condition A820 Mk. II (with black wood trim) in the world. It reputedly was one of Mariah Carey's personal tape machines. I intended to keep this machine stock (with only capacitors and bearings replaced) basically as a nearly new-in-box museum piece, and to compare directly stock audio electronics with outboard tape preamplifiers. Here is a photo of this machine the day it left my house:


View attachment 73800

Charlie Bolois, of Vertigo Recording in Burbank, California, is fully reconditioning an A820 I purchased from Ki Choi. That machine will be modified to optimize playback with an external tape preamplifier. The only open question is which preamp to get.

Yes, I started a tape collection, and it was completed in 2019. My entire tape project was narrow, and focused on a particular 30ips safety copy collection I was able to purchase.

You can get the A820 power supply and preamplifier cards and have a "standard" preamplifier card custom built for little money compared with the cost of the A820. I bought the cage and all the Studer cards for an A80 project, but it is idling - it is why I still keep two A80's ...

BTW, I am looking to sell one A80 machine that I got for spares, but I never disassembled as I found it can easily be put in service again. Anyone with plenty of free time can send me a PM, but due to logistics I am only able to ship in the CE.
 

audioguy1958

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2015
139
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160
I had to sell possibly the lowest mileage, most perfect condition A820 Mk. II (with black wood trim) in the world. It reputedly was one of Mariah Carey's personal tape machines.

Oh boy, that really must have hurt. I can imagine it being in a museum. I feel the same as you, a very rare piece of equipment should be kept pristine and in museum quality. Like a rare expensive car.
 
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audioguy1958

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2015
139
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Hi Ron,

The A820 is one of those models that will greatly benefit from such a step. It has fantastic transport and heads, but its audio electonics is overburdened with conveniences and features. I am still trying to win a lottery, but at this time my two main transports are the A80R with Sepia direct output cards, and the A810 with direct internal wiring.

Victor

Yup, I guess the rest of us have to soldier on with just an A80R.
 

srs148

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2016
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I like the fact there are now many options on the market. I hope more are coming, as many people feel this is the best way of listening to your prerecorded tapes.

Victor Khomenko
Balanced Audio Technology
hi Victor,

I'm sure those who can afford it would love to see a BAT tube or solid state tape pre as a purchase option. Since you have two working prototypes, what are your thoughts about bringing such a product to market?

-Steve
 

Foxbat

Well-Known Member
Jun 11, 2020
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Hi Steve,

We have had some discussions on the subject over the years. The first such such device was built over 20 years ago and it worked well, but back then there was no general availability of quality prerecorded material. With the R2R revival the interest in such a product reappeared, but never to the point of actually doing it. The market is still very small... we felt we would probably sell 100 of our phono stages for one head pre, so its development was not justified - for us. It would involve mainly the industrial design and interface, but we already have our hands full with other projects.

At this time I have three such units of different vintage in my system, the oldest one due to an upgrade. :)

Victor
 

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