[Overview]
■ Overview ■
This unit is the A440A vacuum-tube monaural preamplifier,
one of ALTEC’s outstanding creations from the early 1950s.
It features the rugged, professional-grade construction for which ALTEC is known,
along with the rich and expressive sound characteristic of the vintage era.
The unit provides five inputs across four input selections:
TV, Tape, RCVR, and PHONO 1/2.
The phono inputs are equipped with separate EQ selectors
for LF (low frequency) and HF (high frequency).
The LF settings are selectable from:
0 / 250 / NARTB-AES / LP / 600
The HF settings are selectable from:
0 / 4 / 8 / AES / NARTB
Even with monaural records whose tonal characteristics vary depending on their era and condition,
the flexible EQ controls allow the sound to be adjusted according to personal preference.
Built with high-quality ALTEC and Peerless components,
this unit features the serious, professional-grade design typical of ALTEC products from the period.
It is a highly appealing control preamplifier
for monaural LP playback and pairing with vintage loudspeakers.
■ Sound Quality ■
The sound has exceptional depth and body throughout the midrange.
Vocals and wind instruments are reproduced with remarkably rich texture,
delivering the clear, forward presentation associated with ALTEC equipment.
The phono EQ controls are particularly effective,
allowing the amount of low-frequency weight and high-frequency openness
to be adjusted naturally for each record.
Even older records or recordings with unusual tonal characteristics remain easy to enjoy,
demonstrating the unit’s remarkable ability to accommodate a wide range of record conditions.
The LF and HF tone controls also operate smoothly and naturally,
gently emphasizing only the necessary frequency ranges.
The sound is expansive from top to bottom,
with a glossy, rich, and pleasing tonal character.
Clarity and resolution are both excellent,
while the smooth presentation remains comfortable and fatigue-free during extended listening sessions.
[Specifications]
■ Vacuum Tubes ■
12AU7 × 1
12AY7 × 2
Serial Numbers: 124 / 597
Dimensions including cabinet:
W370 mm × H140 mm × D177 mm
Weight per unit: 5.3 kg
