FS: Khozmo Akustyk Passive Dual Mono Pre

$150 plus shipping at cost - about half of what I paid for it. No PayPal. Personal check or M.O. from Friends by mail works fine. For sale only because I had Khozmo build me a balanced version when I switched to a full balanced chain after I sold my SE Cavalli Liquid Glass amplifier. I had Arek Kallas custom make this as dual mono attenuators only with no input switching (because I didn't need switching). That allows you to call it "bespoke" when you are bragging about it over wine...



More pics here: https://beemerphile.smugmug.com/FSBO/FS-Other/Akustyk-Passive-Preamplifier

Made with Khozmo's standard 10K (Caddock Mk132 + Vishay/Dale RN55) resistors. 48 step attenuators for L and R. Two outputs per side.

Why the hell would anyone want one of these?

1) I used this with what I considered to be a near-perfect SE head amp. But, like many amps, there was a detectable sound level difference left and right at very low volumes. Why don't good amps have balance control anymore?

2) Your ears may be perfect. Mine are not. I have a bit more hearing loss in my left ear than my right ear. What is balanced to the young tatted-up sound engineer and his $10,000 instruments doesn't work for this old man.

3) Usually, once adjusted, the levels at the Akustyk were rarely changed. But occasionally I 'd be listening to something at low levels, or I just wanted to tweak the L or R levels a bit just to get the soundstage like I wanted it.

4) Now that I use a speaker amp instead of a headphone amp with my HE-6's, I needed a series attenuator ahead of the main volume control as a safety valve for the phones. I didn't want to do it with speaker line resistors and I didn't want to lose the benefits above, so I had Mr. Kallas build me the balanced equivalent and this became surplus. I would not want this as the ONLY attenuator because it would be a PITA and stupid to have to raise and lower the volume with two pots.

"Beware those who sell with many words." I know and agree, but if like me you had not considered the utility of such a device, you might not know that you want one. It's too good an item to sit in a box in my shop when someone could be enjoying it.

 

Sale pending. thx. - Lee

 

@shipsupt

SOLD $150 shipped. and thanks - Lee