2108

Phono Preamplifier

In 2002 Boulder released the 2008 Phono Preamplifier. At the end of that year, it was placed in the A+ category of Stereophile magazine’s recommended components, a category created for electronics that are so far ahead of their peers that they justify an entirely new classification.

And now we present the 2108, the next generation phono preamplifier built upon the fundamentals of the past while making meaningful strides forward in technology and design. Countless changes have been made to insure that the 2108 significantly improves upon the 2008 in every way.

Why? Because the best phono stage in the world is the one that makes you focus on the music instead of the electronics. The very things that make analog playback so special are the things that the 2108 passes along without alteration. Dynamics are quick and powerful. Bass is taut and solid. Images are distinct. Silence is just that. Nothing should be added, nothing should be subtracted. Music shouldn’t just play, it should transport you to another place. It should thrill.

And with the 2108, it does.

Features

  • Three pairs of balanced inputs allow connection to three different turntable, tonearm, or cartridge combinations at the push of a button, without any reconfiguration

  • Fully-balanced circuitry rejects noise and keeps the delicate signal from a phono cartridge in balanced mode, maintaining balanced operation throughout and eliminating noise that would otherwise obscure critical musical information

  • Entirely separate power supply chassis houses four independent power supplies: left audio, right audio, control, and standby, for total isolation of all supplies from the sensitive analog audio circuitry

  • Standard RIAA equalization as well as EMI, FFRR (London/Decca), and Columbia EQ selections enable proper playback of collectible records made prior to 1955

  • Modular and discrete Boulder 995S phono gain stage is exclusive to the 2108, hand-manufactured and calibrated to spec in a potted and precision-machined housing

  • Non-resonant and expertly machined casework protect the delicate analog signal from microphonic and resonant distortions

  • Customizable Personality Cards for each input to match the exact individual needs of various phono cartridges: MM, MC, resistive and capacitive loading, high or low gain, and demagnetizing

  • Switchable outboard demagnetizer pass-through connections for use with specific MC phono cartridges

  • Front panel selectable, three-setting low-cut filter removes turntable rumble or low frequency noise from warped records

Specs

2108
Phono Preamplifier
  • Inputs

    Three pairs balanced,
    converts to unbalanced

  • Outputs

    Two pairs balanced,
    converts to unbalanced

  • Input impedance (maximum)

    MC: 1000 ohms
    MM: 47k ohms
    Resistive and capacitive loading adjustable on individual Personality Cards

  • Output impedance

    100 ohms balanced

  • Phono equalization

    RIAA,
    FFRR (London/Decca),
    EMI,
    Columbia

  • Maximum output level

    28 Vrms

  • Distortion, THD

    0.005%

  • 1 kHz gain, RIAA

    MC: 70 or 60 dB
    MM: 50 or 40 dB

  • Noise (EIN), MC

    65 mV A-weighted, 105mV flat,
    20 Hz to 20 kHz

  • Frequency Response, 20 Hz to 20 kHz

    RIAA: ±0.10 dB

  • Crosstalk, L to R or R to L

    -100 dB or better,
    20 Hz to 20 kHz

  • Phono preamplifier weight

    37 lbs. (16.8 kg)
    Shipping: 51 lbs. (23.2 kg)

  • Power supply weight

    48 lbs. (21.8 kg)
    Shipping: 69.5 lbs. (31.6 kg)

  • Power requirements

    90-120V / 200-240V, 50-60 Hz

  • Power consumption

    75W maximum