Creek OBH-22 Remote Control Pre-Amplifier

The function of the Creek OBH22 passive pre-amplifier is to provide input selection and volume adjustment to a Hi-Fi system from an armchair, via infra-red remote control. The unit can also be controlled directly from the front panel.
The OBH-22 consists of a high quality motorised volume potentiometer, and two stereo relays which select the desired input plus tape output, together with a muting relay that can short the signals to ground. A built-in micro-controller decodes the infra-red signals transmitted by the handset and translates them into commands which activate the motorised potentiometer and the muting and input selection relays. After each operation, the micro-controller turns itself off to avoid any possibility of interfering with the main music signal. LED's are used to indicate the status and mode of operation. The OBH-22 is purely passive and does not introduce any gain or distortion into the signal path. It is therefore suitable to be used as a control pre-amplifier, provided the sensitivity of the power amplifier that is being used is high enough to be driven directly from the source. i.e. CD player or tuner etc. The volume control can be operated manually at any time, whether the OBH-22 is powered or not, but without power only Line 1 can be utilised.

Creek OBH-15 Phono Preamplifier

With modern amplifiers expected to cater for so many new devices, the Phono capability has frequently been one of the features to disappear. Creek Audio has always been aware of the benefits of vinyl - that is why the company continues to provide a number of Phono stage options.  The most recent addition to the Creek range is the OBH-15, combining moving magnet and moving coil Phono pre-amplifiers, into one diminutive chassis. Seriously impressive and offering audiophile performance, the new OBH-15 will augment any system.  The OBH-15 Phono pre-amp can now drive longer cables, due to its low output impedance. It has combined the high quality discrete semiconductor circuitry of the OBH-8 and OBH-9 input and gain stages, and added improved open loop gain by cascoding them, prior to the selector switch and combined passive RIAA circuit. Separate Burr-Brown professional grade low-noise op-amps are used for each channel, to buffer the output signal and provide a very low impedance

drive to any pre-amp or integrated amplifier. The Creek OBH15 can switch from moving magnet to moving coil cartridges, via a simple push button on the rear panel. As it has two input circuits, optimised for each type of cartridge it allows for the connection of two turntables. A high gain MC version, for low output MC cartridges, is available to order.   The OBH-15 has a built-in high performance power supply regulator circuit which makes it immune from power supply fluctuations so, it can be used with the un-regulated OBH-1, 6 Watt power supply; but it will sound better with the regulated 12 Watt OBH-2, which is available as an option.  Internally, the OBH-15 has built to the highest standards using a glass-fibre double sided, plated through hole PCB and very high-grade components. The OBH-15 looks the part too! Designed to complement the Creek range of amplifiers, tuners and CD players, the new OBH range features an impressive 4mm thick solid aluminium front panel in a silver finish. The remainder of the 150mm deep extruded aluminium case is painted black, so the product all but disappears.

The VPI SCOUT has become the best-reviewed turntable on the planet! The lowest priced turntable in STEREOPHILES Class "B" it, has broken price to performance records all over the world.  For improved stability and damping, the Scout's chassis is made from 1 1/8" thick MDF bonded to a 12 gauge steel plate. The massive platter is composed of 1 3/8" acrylic and is mounted to an inverted bearing of Teflon and brass on a 60 case hardened shaft. The AC synchronous motor is contained in a separate steel housing and drives the platter via an Aries belt for smooth, quiet operation.  The JMW-9 tonearm is the perfect complement to the Scout, offering all of the advantages of a unipivot tonearm at a bargain price. The arm has a low friction bearing mounted on a solid stainless steel rod with a knurled ring to set VTA (Vertical Tracking Angle). As with the more expensive JMW-10" and JMW-12" arms, the tonearm wand assembly of the JMW-9 can be removed and replaced in seconds, allowing instant cartridge changes with multiple armwands. An RCA junction box allows any RCA-terminated interconnects to be used.