Basis Exclusive : High-End Fully-Balanced Phono Preamplifier
The ASR Basis Exclusive is one of the most advanced phono preamplifiers on the market and surpasses many phono preamps costing substantially more.
A total buffering capacity in excess of 1,300,000 micro Farad and a substantial external battery PSU guarantees for an extremely stable and clean power source.
There is also an upgraded version of the Basis Exclusive available, called the ASR Basis Exclusive HV that has a higher-voltage capacitor bank and larger case.
Basis Exclusive : High-End Fully-Balanced Phono Preamplifier
The ASR Basis Exclusive is one of the most advanced phono preamplifiers on the market and surpasses many phono preamps costing substantially more. A total buffering capacity in excess of 1,300,000 micro Farad and a substantial external battery PSU guarantees for an extremely stable and clean power source.
There is also an upgraded version of the Basis Exclusive available, called the ASR Basis Exclusive HV that has a higher-voltage capacitor bank and larger case.
The ASR Basis Exclusive has two completely separate input stages. Both inputs are adjustable completely independently of each other for all parameters; so two tonearms can be connected at the same time and separately configured in terms of their optimal parameters.
The ASR Basis Exclusive is equipped with 2 pairs balanced XLR input connectors and 1 pair balanced XLR output connectors. Cartridges are in principle a balanced source and can thus be connected optimally to the ASR Basis Exclusive. The unit is also equipped with 2 pairs unbalanced RCA input sockets and 1 pair unbalanced RCA output sockets.
A signal detection circuit switches the ASR Basis Exclusive automatically into battery mode. Through the exceptionally stable power supply, the ASR Basis Exclusive reaches an, until now, seldom heard precise bass performance. The sound-picture has wide space, is very well defined and stands solid at its place independently from the level. The high resolution capability of the ASR Basis Exclusive ensures that you will hear the finest details from your records. The sound of the ASR Basis Exclusive remains typical for ASR products, allowing for high precision and extended dynamics.
Specifications
Input: 2 pairs RCA unbalanced and 2 pairs XLR balanced
Output: 1 pair XLR balanced, 1 pair RCA unbalanced
Frequency response: 3Hz – 200kHz (-3dB)
Gain: Universally adjustable with dip switches from 32 to 64 dB
Input impedance: Phono MM and MC: 5 ohms to 47 kOhm
Input capacitance: adjustable between 100 pF and 320pF
THD: less than 0,01% (20Hz – 20kHz)
RIAA linearity: better than 0.5dB (20Hz – 20kHz)
Weighted S/N: better than 68dB (depending on gain settings)
Dimensions: Preamplifier 430 x 370 x 120 mm. Power supply 460 x 330 x 160 mm
Weight: Preamplifier 10 kg. Power supply 26kg
“The Basis Exclusive has an impressive and effortless dynamic prowess that is unmatched by any phono equalizer familiar to me, and it has a neutral & chameleon-like nature that makes it easy to combine with other electronics while adding little coloration of its own. The Basis Exclusive’s reproduction of non-musical recording artefacts of recordings like transparency, soundstage, sound space, and imaging, are very good, and are impeccably balanced with its excellent ability to reproduce the musical content of recordings like timbre, melody, harmony, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and loudness. The result is a phono equalizer that transcends normal audiophile considerations and plays music exceptionally well, and will reward the music lover with years of carefree listening pleasure.” – Jeff Day
“More than likely, if you’ve been on the scene for a while and have an affinity for the early days of stereo, initial exposure to the Basis Exclusive is likely to shock. It doesn’t sound cozy and comfortable like Golden Age analog-this is LP playback as you’ve not heard it before. You will hear a remarkably low noise floor, stupendous dynamic range and unlimited headroom. The grandest crescendos are distortion-free. These areas have always been weak points for analog. The Basis Exclusive gives digital a run for the money in these. But the stuff that has always made analog more convincing is there, too: the naturalistic soundstage and note production, the flowing musical line” – Marshall Nack
“…there was not a musical genre that didn’t benefit from the ASR’s strong suits: rhythmic snap; among the deepest, cleanest, most dynamic bass I’ve heard; and midrange and high-frequency transparency and clarity without etch, grain, or brightness. The ASR hung together rhythmically as well as any phono preamp I’ve heard…the ASR Basis Exclusive joins a handful of the finest phono preamplifiers I’ve heard. A big, pleasant surprise, and a shock to my system. I absolutely loved the ASR Basis Exclusive.” – Michael Fremer