Warm Audio WA273-EQ, 2-Channel Class A British style 1073 Preamp

Warm Audio WA273-EQ - 2-channel preamplifier and EQ

The classic "73 style preamp" has been heard on countless pop/rock recordings over the years and is the first choice of many recording engineers.

Enthusiasts unequivocally get excited about the components used in classic '73-style British preamps. Signal transformers are a common topic of conversation. Vintage units used various versions of transformers throughout the years, but the most coveted were the earliest versions. These are regarded as the most desirable choice due to their fluid and forgiving nature. They saturate sweetly when pushed, and have been known to make engineers cry when they hear how beautiful their mixes sound through them!
Warm Audio worked closely with Carnhill Transformers of Cambridgeshire, UK, to design faithful reproductions of these most coveted, early version transformers. We at Warm Audio have not yet heard a modern-day '73-style preamp sound as sweet and musical as does our WA73 with these beautiful custom Transformers.

Capacitors & Signal Path

An important part of classic British tone not often discussed are the different styles of capacitors and output transistors used in '73-style circuits. We found it important to maintain integrity to early British designs by using tantalum and polystyrene capacitors in the signal path and an output transistor choice that is much smoother in the high gain settings than what is typically found in modern ''73-style preamps.


UK Blore Edwards Switch-Pots

A great sounding '73-style circuit should be just as reliable as it is great sounding. The complex dual concentric switch potentiometers in the EQ sections of the WA73-EQ are made in the UK by Blore Edwards who manufactures military spec switches and potentiometers. The use of Blore-Edwards components is no small inclusion for a '73-style preamp-eq in this price range.

Hand Wired & Hand Assembled

Classic '73-style preamps were often hand-wired and so was the WA73! Guru’s claim that a portion of the sought-after classic British tone can be attributed to the hand-wired nature of the build. The WA73 is hand-wired and hand-assembled, including the PCB components that are all populated by hand.

Features:

• Discrete Class A circuit
• Carnhill transformer
• 80 dB gain
• Incremented potentiometer
• Tone button for switching the input impedance
• Switch for phase reversal
• Low-cut filter 4-step switchable: 50, 80, 160, 300 Hz
• 3-Band induction coil EQ low-band Boost/Cut: 35, 60, 110, 220 Hz
• Mid-band Boost/Cut: 360, 700, 1600, 3200, 4800, 7200 Hz
• Treble-band Boost/Cut: 10, 12, 16 kHz
• Additional treble band EQ points
• LED meter
• 48V Phantom power
• Integrated 115 / 230V power supply
• Build: 19" / 2 U

Connections:

• 2 Microphone inputs: XLR
• 2 Line inputs: 6.3 mm jack
• 2 Instrument inputs: 6.3 mm jack
• 2 Insert inputs and outputs: 6.3 mm jack
• 2 Line outputs: XLR and 6.3 mm jack