Bakoon Products PRE-7610MK4 Preamp

The PRE-7610 MK4 breaks the myth that power amplifiers with volume do not need a preamplifier, and gives power amplifiers more drive power and a huge amount of information. It can also control power amplifiers from other manufacturers. The amplifier has a total of five inputs, including three voltage inputs and two current inputs via SATRI-LINK. The outputs can also be combined with the company's SATRI-LINK input power amplifiers to create a full current transmission system.

The new circuitry on the MK3 far surpasses that of the MK3, and despite its compact size (78mm(H) x 235mm(W) x 295mm(D)), its content and performance are as good as those of the high-end class. The addition of the newly developed HIBIKI-IC to the SATRI-IC circuitry increases the thickness, information content, and reality of the sound. The originally wide range is now even wider, with stress-free extension from low to high frequencies, and a very natural sound. The sound image is clear and each instrument can be heard clearly and comfortably, and the background is deep, calm, and quiet, just like listening in a live concert hall!　The bias adjustment time upon power-on is also dramatically reduced to less than 30 seconds.

SATRI-IC	UL Specifications
Output	SATRI-LINK(BNC) 1 system / Voltage output(RCA) 1 system
Input	Voltage input (RCA jacks) 3 systems / SATRI-LINK (BNC connector) 2 systems
Gain control	Volume (standard)
Size	78mm(H) x 235mm(W) x 295mm(D)/2.9kg
Power source	100V, 120V, 220V, 240V/50,60Hz

*Bakun Products will gradually change its logo and name to SCL (SATRI Circuit Laboratory). Please note that the logo and name will be changed to SCL (SATRI Circuit Laboratory) in due course.


Adding the PRE-7610 MK4 preamplifier, the amount of information is felt as it is. The resolution is so high that you can see the dullness in the music from the monitor ATC speakers. The sound of chords and bows scraping, the sound of the crowd talking, the sound of treading the floor, and the sound of the performer and singer breathing come through vividly, as if you were looking through clear glass. It was as if the world had reappeared the day I first put on my glasses, unaware that my eyesight had deteriorated.
First, I listened to "One Night on Bald Mountain" and "Pictures at an Exhibition" by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Rene Lebowitz. The changes that occurred when the PRE-7610 was added to the SCA-7511 can be felt very clearly and directly. The first thing I notice is the increase in volume. Users who were dissatisfied with the output of the SCA-7511 will find that the introduction of a preamplifier has a considerable effect on volume. You will feel as if you have changed from a four-cylinder car to an eight-cylinder car with more power. Next, the expansion of space can be directly experienced. The width and depth of the stage are simultaneously expanded. Particularly impressive is the expression of stage depth, which enhances the expressiveness of the "hierarchy" of each group of instruments in the orchestra, allowing the listener to enjoy the performance more realistically. Texture is also expressed with a thicker, smoother string section, and brass parts are brimming with brilliance. The faithful reproduction of bass sounds was unforgettable.
Next, I listened to the Bill Evans Trio album. The key point in appreciating this album was how vividly it reproduced the hall tones characteristic of a live performance. The track played was "Porgy. First of all, you can feel the air on the stage and in the auditorium become transparent at once. The sounds of audience conversations and wine glasses clinking in the auditorium are extremely realistic. If you listen carefully, you can distinguish the content of the audience's conversations. The air of the Village Vanguard, New York City, June 25, 1961, approaches. Bill Evans' transparent yet warm touch, the aesthetic rhythms of Scott Rapha, and above all, Paul Motian's gorgeous and understated technique fill the transparent space. The reproduction is so faithful that it is hard to believe that it was recorded half a century ago, even taking into account the fact that it is a 24-bit/192kHz source. It is a graceful reproduction that could not be expected from the SCA-7511 MK3 alone. Although this is an album I love to listen to, there were aspects of its usual playback that I found unsatisfactory, but through the introduction of the PRE-7610 MK4, I was able to eliminate most of such dissatisfaction. In particular, the refreshing sound of the cymbals that burst like bubbles of soda water was truly superb.
*Audio Monthly (http://www.audioht.co.kr)