The British company Life Changer Audio has introduced a new generation of passive preamplifier icOn 5 under the icOn brand , which will replace the icOn 4 model.
The icOn 5 preamplifier can operate in a purely passive mode, but it also has active stages that can be turned off with the remote control. The preamp is equipped with the new Slagle autoformer with copper or silver windings. The novelty features less inductance, a larger air gap and improved linearity. The requirement for lower inductance led Icon to develop an active input buffer that can be easily bypassed with a remote control.
The transformer volume control provides 136 levels of adjustment ranging from -80dB to +3dB. Adjustments from -48 to +3 dB are made in 0.5 dB steps, and adjustments from -80 dB to -48 dB are made in 1 dB steps. Thus, the new control provides a much wider control range than the previous generation preamplifier.
The switching arsenal of icOn 5 includes eight linear unbalanced inputs on RCA connectors. On the front panel of the device there is a large 7-segment information display. The external power supply of the preamplifier is placed in a separate case of the same dimensions. The preamp is made in Manchester, UK.
The icOn 5 preamplifier is already on sale in the UK. The suggested retail price varies by configuration and ranges from £3,951 to £5,768
