WE’RE assuming there’s an enthusiastic hi-fi scene in Cyprus, given that the island offers at least one homegrown high-end manufacturer in the guise of Aries Cerat, a company dedicated to the propagation of tube amplification – the magnificent Contremo mono blocs were featured here a year ago.
Here’s a high-performance preamp now that’s been in development for some years – the Incito, “a zero feedback power gain stage, comprising a transformer-coupled super-triode, using an ultra high trans-conductance Siemens E280F valve”.
The Aries Cerat literature says this “superb” tube is loaded with a high-quality step-down transformer, while the preamp measures impeccably, which usually isn’t possible when designs take a simplistic route, as the Incito does.
“Voltage swings of over 320V are easy task for the power stage, and is stepped down to 80Vpp, while keeping transistor-like noise figures. Our step-down transformer provides very low output resistance and more than adequate current to drive any load down to 250 ohms,” claims the company.
The power supply is built around the 5AR4 rectifier, with separate double pi filtering for each channel, oversized chokes, high-speed capacitors and an ultra low noise adjustable bias supply. The preamp offers true balanced outputs, while there are five inputs that can be configured in single-ended or fully balanced mode. A HT pass-through feature is also present. And yes, there’s a remote handset.
The Incito weighs a not inconsiderable 33kg and measures 480 x 320 x 165mm (w/d/h). For more information, check out the Aries Cerat site.
