Aesthetix Pallene Line-Stage Pre-amplifier
As the nexus of your audio system, Pallene offers the flexibility you need with the high performance you strive for in a preamplifier. Derived from our years of experience producing award-winning products, Pallene delivers performance far above what you expect from its price class. Producing the enveloping and transparent musicality that signifies an Aesthetix product, Pallene is ready to take your system to the next level for a lifetime of enjoyment.
DESIGN AND INNOVATION
Of all the jobs a preamp needs to do, adjusting the volume is by far the most difficult. This critical piece can make or break its performance, and this is where Pallene excels. Pulling from our decades of research and development, Pallene utilizes the same discrete switched resistor design as our award-winning Calypso and Mimas products. Consisting of 88 1dB steps defined by precision 1% tolerance metal film resistors, this volume control maximizes resolution at any listening level.
Pallene's hybrid design leverages the strengths of both tube and solid-state circuits. The zero-feedback gain section utilizes one 6DJ8 (6922) vacuum tube per channel in a fully differential, balanced configuration, preserving the dimensionality and real-to-life performance captured in your favorite recordings. We take the time to burn our tubes in for over 100 hours before testing to ensure the most accurate results. We then do a complete FFT distortion analysis on each tube and match the set for your preamplifier to within .2dB of each other.
Taking advantage of its internally balanced operation, Pallene employs a solid-state summing/differential output stage. This design gives you all the benefits of our differentially balanced circuitry, even when using the single-ended RCA outputs. We provide additional flexibility for you by allowing simultaneous use of the XLR and single-ended outputs. This option gives you the ability, for example, to drive both a power amplifier and a subwoofer with Pallene.
A key part of any Aesthetix piece is our devotion to overbuilt, state-of-the-art, fully-regulated power supplies. To begin, we design and manufacture our transformers in-house, ensuring the best possible voltage source feeds our power supplies. These Aesthetix low flux transformers incorporate multiple secondary windings, delivering pure, stable power to each critical section.
These windings feed our discrete regulation, providing a precisely tailored response for the critical analog sections. These sections include:
- High voltage for tubes.
- Low voltage for the solid-state output stage.
- Volume control resistor switching.
We also provide separate, fully regulated power supplies for isolated sections like the vacuum tube heaters, DAC, and the control system.
A hallmark of Aesthetix components is the simple, timeless beauty of the casework and industrial design. Pallene's all-aluminum machined chassis, manufactured in Santa Barbara, California, provides a solid foundation for its performance. From the smooth operation of the machined control buttons to the stainless steel transformer shield, no detail is left unresolved. Built to amaze you, Pallene is ready for a lifetime of performance.
FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITY
Designed to meet the needs of modern audio systems, we've built in loads of useful features without compromising the performance in any way.
5 analog inputs, balanced or single-ended: Balanced circuitry is one of our core design tenets because of its ability to reject noise, allowing you to delve deeper into your favorite music. Each of the Pallene inputs offers both a balanced and single-ended connection. We suggest using the balanced connection whenever possible. If single-ended is your only option, don't worry; we immediately convert the signal to balanced inside the Pallene, taking full advantage of the preamplifier's design.
Headphone output: Pallene has a built-in front panel 1/4" headphone connection, which is automatically selected when a headphone jack is inserted. Selecting the headphone or speaker output is easily done from the front panel or remote, allowing headphones to remain plugged in if desired. Delivering 1/3 watt into 32 ohms, Pallene easily powers most headphones on the market. For more demanding headphones or more demanding listeners, we offer a fully discrete class AB upgrade option (see below).
Home theater bypass: Combining your high-performance two-channel audio system and home theater setup can be challenging. Pallene provides an elegant solution to this challenge. Any one of its analog inputs can be set to home theater bypass input, allowing easy incorporation into your home theater system while maintaining pure two-channel sound quality.
Display: A preamp's front panel display is instrumental to its operation. Unfortunately, most display options create an unacceptable level of noise, directly affecting the preamp's performance. Pallene's front panel display is based on static LED technology, eliminating unwanted noise. The large character display makes it easy to see the volume level and input from your listening seat. It has fully adjustable brightness and Aesthetix room light sensing technology, allowing you to get the perfect illumination for your room.
User convenience: Modern software design allows you to adjust Pallene's parameters to fit your individual system's needs. You can turn each input on or off and give them unique four-character names. Other helpful adjustments include left/right balance, startup level, maximum volume level, and display settings. You can turn the headphone output on or off and set home theater bypass mode for the appropriate input. Once set up, Pallene will provide efficient and elegant control of your system.
Control: Pallene comes standard with our beautiful backlit, motion-sensing, brushed aluminum remote. This remote allows you to access and adjust all aspects of the preamp. For situations where the front panel IR receiver is not accessible (behind a cabinet door or in a separate room) a 1/8" jack for an IR extender is available on the back panel. Pallene also has an RS232 DB-9 connector on the rear panel to connect to more advanced control systems.
CUSTOMIZATION
We offer several additional options for your Pallene, ensuring it fits perfectly into your system.
Phono section: Adding our MM / MC phono input card provides two fully discrete inputs. This FET-based, high-gain differential circuit design utilizes German Wima film capacitors, preserving every musical nuance your cartridge delivers. The complete array of gain and loading settings can be adjusted from the front panel or remote control, making setup and fine-tuning an absolute joy.
Digital to Analog section: Adding our DAC section to your Pallene puts an array of modern digital options in your control. Utilizing our differentially balanced circuit design with Wima film capacitors and Wavelength Technologies' asynchronous USB ensures the best performance from your digital collection. Connection options:
- 2x RCA (coax)
- 2x TosLink (optical)
- USB with resolutions up to PCM 24 bits/384KHz and DSD128.
Headphone amplifier upgrade: When a great headphone amp isn't quite enough, it's time to upgrade to extraordinary. Your Pallene can be configured (or updated later) with a fully discrete Class-AB 1 watt into 32 ohm headphone amplifier. This differentially balanced, zero-feedback, fully regulated design will add a dimension to your headfi experience you won't soon forget. Leaving no detail unchecked, we've included professional Mogami wiring for the highest level of resolution.
Product Specifications
Inputs
5 line RCA or XLR (balanced)
Volume control
switched resistor network volume control with 88 1 dB steps
Tubes
One 6DJ8 / 6922 per channel
Outputs
Preamp output, balanced and single-ended; Headphone 1/4"
I/O
RS232, IR extender
Dimensions
17 7/8" x 17 11/16" x 5 1/2" / 45.4 x 44.9 x 14 cm
Weight
28 lbs / 12.7 Kg
Shipping weight
38 lbs / 17.2 Kg
Finish
black or silver
Warranty
3 years, non-transferable
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