YBA Pre550 MkII w/DAC (Dual-Mono 2xAD1955) - NEW - 2022 MkII Update

tmhaudio is the US Distributor of YBA, ONIX and other ultra-high-end audio product lines

YBA's iconic sound is extraordinarily transparent, detailed with an open & precise 3D soundstage. 
But the "magic" is the rich, vibrant tonality that accurately captures the real tone of voice and instruments.

YBA…designed by Yves-Bernard André, YBA Chief Designer who continues as part of ownership group and oversees the production/assembly in an ISO9001 facility

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FEATURES
• Dual-Mono (2x Analog Device AD1955) DAC - also used in Bricasti DAC
• 3 Analog + 6 Digital Inputs (plus BlueTooth)
• 180° Phase Switch (on Faceplate & Remote)
• 2 Linear HIgh-Performance Power Supplies
• 2 Transformers for separate Analog & Digital section
• Analog Transformer: 190VA C-grain oriented pumped under vacuum - 48 hrs @100 °C
• Volume Attenuator: "Burr-Brown 2320 resistor ladder" encoder for ultra-high accuracy, fine details & startling clarity
• 9mm Aluminum bottom plate with mechanical ground path
• Wrap-around cover attaches underneath - no visible screws on top & sides for a clean, contemporary aesthetic

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Anti-Vibration techniques
• Signature series milled from 1 solid block of aluminum using "Space Base" technology to isolate circuits
• Passion series' thick, 9mm solid bottom plate to function as a vibrational grounding sink
• 3-feet with 1 foot providing a mechanical ground to evacuate vibrational distortions

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VIDEO: Yves-Bernard Andre introducing Signature line w/English subtitles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4up2WiExUIQ&t=1s

Review excerpts (w/Passion A650 amplifier)
HiFiNews: “Strip things down to trio jazz from the Espen Eriksen Trio, with their You Had Me At Goodbye album, and the delicate touch here is much in evidence on a track such as 'In The Woods', where each note of Eriksen's piano shines radiantly, decaying into the acoustic as the next rolls over it, while the understated bass and drums are persuasively placed in a crisply resolved soundstage. That blend of warmth and clarity does a fine job of creating the impression of a very real and palpable performance in the listening room.”

PursuitPerfectSystem (UK): “This is an incredible sounding hifi duo with a fast, clean ultra transparent presentation that is very easy to love."

SoundstageUltra (focus on DAC): “Dynamics were powerful, yet subtle when required, and fast. The quietness I’d already noted let me hear a lot of detail -- real detail, not the fake detail created by goosing up the high frequencies. Speaking of the highs, they were open and extended, with plenty of sparkle."

Owner (also owns uber-expensive Dartzeel separates):
Build quality & styling: “The 550 looks like a high end Swiss (think Nagra) machine, with an added touch of French flair. It is
compact, very handsomely presented, with an attractive and very easily readable amber colored display and a luxurious metal remote control.
All controls and functions are easy, intuitive and pleasurable to use.”
Sound: “In three words, the 550 sounds like it looks: refined, elegant and musical. This is a very revealing, subtle but also highly enjoyable pre/DAC, that delivers a remarkable combination of detail and musicality.”