Ultra
smooth with exceptional dynamics, speed and
air
with the richness of the 6SN7 dual triode
vacuum tube.
The Basis Plus linestage is the result of 2 years of R&D and
hundreds of hours of listening and tweaking. In the end, the
results far exceeded our expectations making it a great
candidate to be taken even further...... in Response Audio
tradition, to the EXTREME.
The
Basis Extreme linestage is a no compromise "Silver" version of our Basis
linestage. The circuitry of the Basis is deserving of
receiving all the detail and attention Response Audio has
put into some of it's most elaborate products.
Unlike
the Basis Plus, the Silver Extreme is not built to a price
point nor was it simply a collection of expensive
components yet is still maintains affordability and value. All Musica Bella products go through a long R&D
process to find just the right recipe that provides the
results of our initial sonic goals.
The Basis
Extreme features a topology that brings out
the most natural sound performance in the
audio path using one dual triode 6SN7 tube
per channel. In principle, it is a single
gain stage that represents the shortest
possible signal path wired in silver wiring
and carefully chosen passive components for the most intimate
sonic purity.
The
Circuit
Each
preamplifier is handcrafted in Bella Extreme's New York facility of the finest materials and top
quality parts.
More
specifically,
to obtain the sound Bella
Extreme was
looking for in the Basis Extreme, they utilize the intimate
and
refined sound of the
Clarity Cap coupling capacitors. Many capacitors were tested in this
circuit that also worked nicely but provided a slightly
different presentation. Internal wiring is 24 AWG
Silver/Teflon of the highest quality. For those who do not
like silver, we can assemble the Basis Extreme with 24 AWG
solid core Copper/Teflon. Choosing the proper attenuator (volume
control) as well as other critical components throughout the
design allowed us to reach our goals as well as yours.
The Power Supply:
The
power supply is the heart and soul of any audio product. It
is every bit as important as the circuit design. Bella
Extreme
spent several years in R&D when it
comes to power supply design for their products. There are a
few different configurations and layouts that 'work' in the
Basis Extreme but only one that sounds and performs "right".
The power supply of the Silver Extreme is choke
filtered and consist of
100%
Metallized Polypropylene capacitors with high quality
film capacitors used for bypass. Not an
electrolytic in sight. This is the reasoning behind the
larger size of the chassis. Everything within the power
supply is wired using high quality silver plated copper
wiring including the filament circuit. An aluminum shield is custom made and
installed to isolate the power supply from the analog
circuit and the chassis is lined with a
custom-formulated massive damping material significantly
reducing all types of mechanical vibrations which, in
turn,
leads to a more extended, coherent and natural bass
reproduction and dynamics.
Located on
the back panel of every Silver Extreme linestage is an
international voltage selector switch allowing the Silver
Extreme to be used around the globe without having to come
back to our facility for rewiring. The Silver Extreme can be
run with the following mains voltages: 110V, 117V, 220V,
230V, 240V
The
Chassis
The standard Basis Extreme
is a single
Baltic Birch chassis with a thickness of 3/4" all around
with the top panel being 1/2" thick.
The front window and rear panel of the Basis Extreme is 1/4"
thick acrylic. Transparent for the front, black for the
rear. Finishing the chassis is a time
consuming process taking upwards of 2 weeks just to hand rub
the finish after
assembly.
The
Sound
The
Basis Extreme provides a slightly richer, more emotional presentation
while retaining exceptional detail, speed, resolution and
transparency. The bass is tight, fast and clean. The midrange will
seduce you for hours on end and the upper end has extension
and air. Listener fatigue is a term you will never hear when
describing the sound of the Silver Extreme but 'musicality'
will become your new favorite word.
Keeping in the
Musica Bella tradition, the 'Basis' provides
a clean, linear, dynamic presentation with low
distortion using a SRPP circuit. If you have
never heard the virtues of a 6SN7 based
preamp, you do not know what you are
missing. This is a piece that is very much at home in
the most elaborate audiophile systems.
The Basis provides a dead quiet background allowing you to
enjoy and appreciate the finest nuances hidden within your
recordings.
This elegant design is a very low
maintenance product allowing you to spend
all your time enjoying the music.
NOTE: For those who prefer not to
have a silver wired component, we can build
the Basis Extreme using high quality solid
copper with Teflon.
Features
-
Highest
quality circuit components
-
Clarity Cap coupling capacitors
-
24 AWG solid core Silver/Teflon
signal wire or
24 AWG solid core Copper/Teflon
-
Silk (Silmic) cathode bypass capacitors
bypassed with quality film capacitors
-
High current toroidal transformer
-
Metallized
Polypropylene choke filtered power supply.
No electrolytics
-
Ultra
Fast-Soft Recovery Fairchild diodes in
the rectifying bridge of the power
supply
-
Cardas
input and output RCA connectors
-
100%
point-to-point wired
-
Alps Blue remote controlled volume
available
-
Gain L & Gain R fine adjust attenuators
-
Inputs:
5 line level (single ended)
-
Outputs: 2
sets single ended
-
115V/230V Voltage selector switch
-
HT Bypass
optional
-
16"W x
14"D x 5"H
-
Weight: 35+ lbs.
-
Hand built
in the USA.
-
Three year
parts and labor warranty
Gain:
- 13dB
Input impedance
- 135k ohms
Output impedance
- 1.7k ohms
Phase inverting
- Yes
The front panel rendering below shows what
will be our standard face plate for the
Basis Extreme linestage. Power
and selector need no explanation. The
"Volume" is a master volume with the "Gain
L" and "Gain R" being fine adjust attenuators
for better matching to any power amplifier
as well as providing tight channel balance.
|
Prices, Basic Unit |
Including shipping from
Endicott, New York
13760, USA |
|
"Silver Extreme" |
$3,995
Regular Price
$2,995
Direct Sales
Limited Time Pricing
-
before
options below
Direct pricing end
June 30th 2010
|
|
Options and Upgrades |
|
|
Remote Volume |
Alps Blue Remote volume
control with
separate, dedicated
power supply
add $175 |
|
Hybrid Resistor
Remote Volume
w/PRM-1 |
  $475
- PRM-1 Remote
Volume display with
mute and balance
control. 1db steps
from -60db up to
unity gain. The
volume circuit is a
modified shunt type
- with the clean
signal path of a
shunt type
attenuator but the
input impedance
stays much more
constant over the
level control range.
A dedicated power
supply is also built
for the remote
system. |
|
Clarity Labs Foxfire
Interconnect |
10% off
selling price
The Basis Extreme
uses the same
internal wire as
used in the
construction of the
Foxfire II
interconnect cable
keeping sonic
synergy in check. |
|
Tube Upgrade |
We recommend looking
at our
Recommended
Tubes page and choose a tube that best meets your preferences. You can
order these tubes direct from this page and have then sent directly to us or
you.
Both the Standard and Plus models come
equipped with standard Electro Harmonix 6SL7 tubes. |
|
Warranty |
-
3
Years
(transferable)
on all parts and
labor, with the
exception of
-
6 months on
chassis and/or
any wood accents
-
90 Days on
tubes
Unauthorized
parts substitution
or modification
will void Warranty |
|
Availability |
Now
taking orders!
All units are built
to order by hand in
our commercially
located workshop in
Endicott, New York,
USA. Lead time is
typically 4-6 weeks
from order to
shipment depending
on the individual
configuration and
work load. |
|
|
|
Please note that
Bella Extreme takes extreme pride in
developing their products to their fullest
potential. Outside upgrades and servicing is
not approved and will void their 3 year
warranty.
Due to
policies of continuous product
improvement,
specifications may change without notice.
