The BA2 MkII Musical Box

The NEW BA2 MK II is supplied using the excellent power supply from our PS1 phono pre-amplifier! This gives exceptional smoothness and that “inky black silence” to give exceptional space. We created the BA 2 in order to solve several problems in Hi Fi:

1, A common complaint from customers is the lack of warmth from their (often) “hi end/high spec” transistor equipment often accompanied by excessive “harshness”. This is often prevalent in CD/Digital Radio/MP3 sources etc.

2, When driving long and often expensive interconnects it is inevitable that there will be some loss of detail and high frequency, as the output drive of many CD, digital and solid-state sources can be poor (=high source impedance).

3, Sometimes, for various reasons two units of Hi Fi just do not seem to work well together. This could be due to poor impedance matching, poor loading or some other unidentified reason.

Our BA 2 “buffer amplifier” is designed to overcome all these problems and give a warmer more musical “valve sound”. It is an excellent cure for “listening fatigue” (“sounds great but I can’t bear to listen for more than 30 minutes” syndrome). The Musical Box is a small all valve pre-amplifier with zero gain. It is based around the superb 6SN7 probably the greatest HI Fi valve ever made. Using one 6SN7 per channel the “Musical Box” has a wonderfully detailed smooth fluid quality. It will add “texture” and make your system more “listenable”..

The Icon Audio BA2 Mk II buffer amplifer (Musical Box)

6SN7s have a reputation for a very long life, inexpensive and easily replaceable there is new production and lots of “old stock” to experiment with. The oversized PS1/BA2 power supply has a substantial mains transformer and is choke regulated to smooth conditioned power.

As with all Icon products we strive for the best sonic performance, this demands hard wiring “point to point”. The audio cable is Silver Teflon. Using only top quality audio grade full size components. The chassis uses a combination of Anodised alloy plate and polished stainless steel. This gives a beautiful finish and very solid feel, which also has sonic non-magnetic and dampening qualities. Despite its small size it weighs in at 5kg.

Connecting

The BA 2 would normally be connected between the output of your source unit (e.g. CD player), or between the output of a pre-amplifier and a poweramp. Alternatively the “record loop” of an integrated amplifier may be used.

What will it do for your sound?

The simple triode design coupled with the superb characteristics of the 6SN7 valve will enrich the harmonic detail of your system adding a new dimension to the sound of any musical instrument. Your system will immediately have a richer, warmer, more textured sound. But the BA 2’s wide bandwidth and low distortion ensure that nothing is detracted from the purity of your system. There will be no loss of information, a glance at the frequency response and distortion will confirm the excellence of the performance.

Specifications and Features

• Comprehensive manual supplied
• Full instructions for valve change included
• All hand wired point to point
• No printed circuit board to ‘colour’ sound
• Class A, all Triode circuit
• Very low output impedance of 180Ω
• 2x EH 6SN7 super double triodes
• Gain = 0.96
• Maximum output= 30v
• Ideal for any input from 50mv to 20v
• Signal to noise level -90db
• Freq response better than 10hz to 100khz –0.1db
• Total harmonic distortion typically less than 0.1% 1khz
• Japanese steel EI transformers with low oxygen copper
• Slim profile design
• High quality 2W metal film, & wire-wound resistors
• Blue LED mains indicator
• Polypropylene audio capacitors
• Silver TEFLON audio cable
• Ceramic valve holders for minimum leakage
• Gold plated Input & output terminals
• One line input/line output
• 225/240volts 50 watts.
• C E, ROHS and WEEE compliant where applicable.
• W11cm, D35 cm, H14.8 H (inc valves),
• PSU W10cm, D20cm, H10cm. Packed Weight= 5kg
• (remember to allow space for connections)

Specifications subject to change, errors & omissions excepted. General 24/09/09)

Downloads

For full details of this product (including pricing, options and delivery details) pls download the PDF.

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