TOWNSHEND | Allegri Reference Mk II Preamplifier

Wired throughout with Townshend’s proprietary Fractal™ cable, with full remote control, a detailed and clear LED display and the latest Seismic Isolation. Designed with the goal of absolute signal purity, it is the optimum solution for the heart of your system. It is exactly what every serious audiophile has been waiting for.

Enjoying Townshend Audio’s renowned crystal-clear treble, open, lucid mid-band and subterranean bass, as delivered by the Allegri+ preamplifier, the Allegri Reference amazingly delivers another level of sound quality, with truly high resolution. It reveals enormously deep and wide sound stages that fill the room with holographic-like sound images, whilst unveiling previously hidden fine detail. It is the ultimate, timeless, state-of-the-art, purely analogue, passive, stereo audio volume control.

PASSIVE AUTOTRANSFORMER VOLUME CONTROL (AVC)

There are 129 individual 0.5dB steps, which give very fine volume adjustment at all listening levels. This incredibly wide range can accommodate very high source levels and very high sensitivity power amplifiers enabling refined volume control at very low levels, which is ideal for late-night listening. This is a 'first' for an AVC. In use, the control is seamless with no discernible steps. The Allegri Reference is the Holy Grail of audio preamplifiers.

The autotransformer configuration is employed for the Allegri Reference, as in the “stunning” Allegri+, because it has been shown to give by far the best sonic result when compared with conventional transformers (TVCs). The AVC also allows for a smaller core size, which has lower leakage inductance, which gives a far better transient performance and flatter frequency response. The AVC, is also much better than a resistive passive volume control, because of the very high input impedance and low output impedance.

The winding of each transformer comprises a single, unbroken, 260m (845 feet) length of 0.1mm (42SWG) Fractal™ wire, looped out 48 times around 48 pins, which are connected directly to the reed-relay pins. A short run of Fractal™ wire connects each of the signal in, signal out and ground, between the input/output connector board and each transformer relay board. Here is a clear case of less is MUCH more. The laminations are 49 % Nickel, 51% iron mumetal, which gives the best bass performance and lowest overall distortion (less than 0.001%).

FRACTAL™ WIRE

This purely passive autotransformer design is wired throughout with Townshend Audio’s unique Fractal™ wire, which was developed over many years of critical listening, by the most discerning audiophiles and is audibly superior to plain copper, silver and even DCT copper wire. The result is the most accurate, uncoloured and open-sounding preamplifier possible, offering astonishing transparency and resolution of the finest details.

To realise the full potential of the Allegri Reference, it is most important to use Townshend Audio F1 Fractal™ interconnects for both input and output, as just one metre of inferior interconnect can noticeably degrade the sound.