Phono/Tape Preamplifiers to take your analog input signal to the next level

As tape enthusiasts, we designed the DB series with David Berning for the reel-reel format. Phono was an afterthought and a very
worthwhile addition. But back to tape…

The majority of tape enthusiasts believe that Reel-Reel tape recorders offer the best sound available, but it gets better than that.
These 1980’s R-R Tape Recorders, that were king in the day, have 1980’s electronic designs and components.
Welcome to 2025!
Much has improved since then. Electronic designs by David Berning are a perfect example of this.

If you bypass the internal electronics of your tape recorder and use modern day pre-amplification, you can get significantly better sound. For those that are new to this category, consider the parallel to phono preamplifiers, of which there are many. You are amplifying a low-level signal from the cartridge. Quite similar with tape heads, but they require a bit more gain. As long as you have a great transport with good speed stability, you are in a position to get a lot more out of your tape recorder, regardless of what model,  Pro/ Studio recorders or High-end consumer decks from Japan or elsewhere.

In high-end audio, diminishing returns with subtle improvements, tends to be the norm. Not so with the DB series of Tape head preamplifiers. Whether you are running 15 IPS master tapes or the older pre-recorded tapes, this is potentially one of the most significant upgrades you can do. The AHF DB series Preamps will take your system to a surprising new level, at the cost of a very good phono cartridge. Our design goal was to produce 3 great sounding Tape Preampliers, targeting various price points, designed by David Berning, one of the best audio designers in the last 50 years.