OldStep's flagship and most popular product among vinyl music listeners is the Enhance XPerience10, which is the latest model of the original Enhance. During the development period of this preamplifier, several variants were created, for example Enhance MKIV, which also had its place at the Prague Audio Video Show in 2022.
Enhance Xperience10, together with the top integrated Comfort preamplifier in combination with PA 20W power monoblocks, offers the best that we have been able to develop and produce in ten years of our hard development work and hundreds of listening tests. With great humility to the taste of the listener, OldStep components aim to satisfy even the most demanding audiophile.
Price: CZK 56,900 (incl. VAT)
Download the Enhance XPerience10 leaflet:
Enhance XPerience10 A4 přední strana_final.pdf (419,9 kB)
Enhance XPerience10 A4 zadní strana_ final.pdf (252,2 kB)
Enhance XPerience10 A4 zadní strana_ final.pdf (252,2 kB)
Technical description of Enhance XPerience10:
The Enhance XPerince10 phono preamplifier is currently the highest model of the Oldstep company, and its construction evaluates ten years of experience with circuit design details, used components and, last but not least, rich feedback from our satisfied customers. The philosophy of Oldstep products is based on the joy and experience of listening to music.
The circuit concept is based on triodes operating in class A. The preamplifier does not use overall feedback and its gain, channel synchronization and equalization of the RIAA curve is determined only by the precise selection and pairing of the components used and the careful hand-crafting and uncompromising testing of each manufactured piece. Passive parallel RIAA frequency correction is divided into two stages. Each of the correction elements is thus powered by a separate amplification stage with a defined output resistance enabling precise setting of the break-off frequencies of the RIAA characteristic without mutual influence with excellent synchronization of the left and right channels. The iconic dual triode 6SL7 in the first stage with parallel connected noise minimization systems adds a captivating sound and feeds the first stage of the RIAA correction element, followed by the first dual triode 6SN7 system as the driver of the second stage of RIAA correction followed by the second system connected as a cathode follower with extremely low output resistance, thanks to which the preamplifier can be connected to volume controls or any other amplifier without the risk of affecting the equalization curve. The Enhance XPerience10 preamplifier uses proven carefully selected and matched tubes from reputable manufacturers or tubes from proven "New Old Stock" sources that are tested and selected by OldStep. Other components include WIMA and Audiophiler capacitors and AEC connectors. The power supply is solved without compromise, with a separate power supply that provides a stabilized voltage not only for the tube anodes, but also for the heating circuits. Of course, the soft start function is a slow start of the heating and subsequently anode current to achieve the maximum service life of the tubes.
The main advantage of Enhance XPerience10 is the ability to connect practically any common gramophone cartridge (cartridge). The basic selection of the type of MC or MM pickup is enabled by a switch on the back panel, as well as the setting of the optimal impedance and capacity of the preamplifier input for perfect adaptation to the characteristics of the used pickup. The MC input uses "in build" "Step Up" transformers. Alternatively, according to customer requirements, we offer British Sowter (www.sowter.co.uk/) or Swedish Lundahl (www.lundahltransformers.com/) transformers. Both types of transformers can be configured to all manufacturer-recommended gain stages with an internal contact field, thus adapting the gain of the amplifier over a wide range. The variety of connection of step up transformers together with the excellent excitability of the amplifier input thus offers support from low voltage MC transmissions to hi voltage MM types.
MC – Moving Coil (moving coil) – in this mode, the preamplifier has a total gain of approx. 60dB and thus allows you to connect a "Low Voltage" MC cartridge with an input voltage of the order of 0.3 mV.
MM – Moving magnet – in this mode, it has a pre-amplifier with a total gain of approx. 40dB and thus allows you to connect a regular MM cartridge (transmissions with a higher output voltage) with a voltage in the order of 3mV.
Technical parameters of XPerience10:
