The Danish company Gato Audio has been producing products under its own brand since 2007, but its history spans several decades. Gato Audio has accumulated the experience of several Danish companies, many of which are widely popular and highly respected among High End enthusiasts and connoisseurs: Avance (speaker systems with reinforced concrete housings), Holfi, Thule Audio, GamuT, Tymphany, Vifa, Peerless, Scan Speak ). Distinctive features of the components of the Danish company are an impeccably balanced design, an exquisite, very musical sound and a unique design. The production, research and management structures of the company are located in Herlev, near Copenhagen, where development, manual assembly, testing and strict quality control of products are carried out. Designers have advanced production and control and measuring equipment (Audio Precision complex) at their disposal. Printed circuit boards are manufactured and mounted using high-precision machines; aluminum is supplied by the best metallurgical productions, and the element base is supplied by the most authoritative, proven manufacturers whose products meet the strictest quality and reliability criteria.
The Gato Audio PRD-3 preamplifier features low analog noise, 24-bit / 192kHz resolution, oversampling of lower-quality recordings, and a very accurate clock generator that provides ultra-low jitter for digital circuits. The analog input circuits not only connect the input connectors and the built-in DAC to the output stage, but also match impedance, adjust levels, and switch signal sources. Careful processing of delicate analog signals is very important to the sound of the amplifier. Gato Audio's many years of experience in building analog amplifiers have allowed us to create these demanding circuits with unsurpassed sound quality. The built-in digital-to-analog converter provides real high-end characteristics thanks to a specially dedicated power supply unit, a Burr-Brown PCM1794 microcircuit with a balanced output, an improved current-voltage converter with an extended frequency range and an analog part with a low-quality filter. All digital inputs can be upsampled to 24 bit / 192 kHz. This DAC can elevate any digital source to a higher level of detail and musicality. PRD-3 is a pre-amplifier with three pairs of outputs: two symmetrical and one asymmetrical. It is convenient to organize amplification according to the bi-amping scheme from such sets of outputs. Digital SPDIF, Toslink, USB are added to the standard set of inputs (1 XLR, 2 RCA): there is a built-in DAC based on the Burr-Brown PCM1794 chip. The main "feature" of the design of this predecessor is an indicator display on white LEDs. When turning the knob of the level regulator (there is a knob, but the adjustment is electronic), the numbers on the display change vertically, like a "one-armed bandit" in a Las Vegas casino. When a digital input is selected, the sample rate of the input signal flashes on the display for a short time. If suddenly these numbers are not to your liking, you can turn off the display completely (using the remote control).

Specifications

Frequency response 20 Hz-100 kHz – 0.5 dB
Signal to noise ratio > 110 dB
Line out maximum level 13V balanced, 6.5V unbalanced
Total Harmonic Distortion < 0.001% pre out
Input impedance 20 kΩ RCA or 40 kΩ Balanced
Line output impedance 75 Ω
Voltage gain 10 dB

Connectors
Balanced analogue inputs 1 pair gold plated XLR Neutrik
Unbalanced analogue inputs 2 pairs of gold plated RCA Stereo
Digital inputs 1 pc USB type B, 1 pc Toslink, 1 pc RCA
Balanced analogue outputs 2 pairs gold plated XLR Neutrik
Unbalanced analogue outputs 1 pair of gold plated RCA Stereo
Trigger, 12 V 1 pc mini jack

Size & Power
Power Requirements 115 VAC/230 VAC, 50 Hz/60 Hz, 30W max
Power consumption stdb/idle/max < 1W/14W/30W
Dimensions (WxHxD) 325 x 105 x 420 mm / 12.8 x 4.1 x 16.5"
Weight 7 kg / 15.4 lb