Topic: What do you think about this low-cost preamp?

[hammerhorror]

I found this new preamp online from Beachtek and was wondering what peoples opinions would be on buying this to use in front of an SBM-1? I have seen it online for around $289.00 Good price. But is it worth buying? What do you think of the specs? Let me know your opinions.

Here is some info on the unit: http://www.beachtek.com/dxa10.html

[BJ]

i would like to hear it....but either way..i with i could find one used for agbout half that price! 

[willndmb]

i was going to say for 300 you can get a ua5 and have a bm2 mod done
i would do that before i got this, but then again this is much smaller and stealthy if thats what you will be doing with it
you would prob need to check into powering it
it says 4hrs typical with no phantom
so you can bet its prob less and then if you have phantom turned on you will get even less
so depending on the shows you tape it might not last long enough

[bluegrass_brad]

I would be curious as too how long it could run w phantom since it only uses one 9volt battery.  My MV-100 could get about an opener and a headiner (3 sets total) before the light would come on and it used 2 9v.

[cfbarlow]

Looks interesting, i would like to try it out.  Here are two other mic-pres that would seem in the same ballpark, yet no-one ever talks about.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=300798&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=329015&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation
 

 John, did you win those dpa 4061's on ebay?

Btw I loved that Tortoise show at the Empty Bottle.

-Charlie

[marc0789]

I found this new preamp online from Beachtek and was wondering what peoples opinions would be on buying this to use in front of an SBM-1? I have seen it online for around $289.00 Good price. But is it worth buying? What do you think of the specs? Let me know your opinions.

Here is some info on the unit: http://www.beachtek.com/dxa10.html

yeah, why not? seems to have the basics you'd want, and the size is nice.

[dklein]

before you go ahead...
1) check the gain ranges - it's marked 30 and 60 dB.  The question is what's the minimum gain available.  I know some folks have trouble with units like the AD-20 because it can't drop below +17dB and we don't always need that much gain in a concert p.a. setting

2)  Theyt state a 4 hour battery life (no phantom).  That could drop in half using phantom.  And I don't see an external jack for power so you may be stuck changing 9v batteries in the middle of a set