The Mark Levinson

Mark Levinson

The company Mark Levinson, now owned by Madrigal Audio Laboratories specializes in high-end digital audio processors, integrated amplifiers, power amplifiers, pre amplifiers, and CD players...

 No. 26S Dual Monaural Preamplifiers used Teflon circuit boards to supposedly differentiate the No. 26 and the 26S models, produced between 1991 and 1994 by Madrigal Audio Laboratories. This unit utilizes Camac coaxial connectors (except for the XLR balanced ones), which were used in the medical industry as well, because they break hot before they break ground when you unplug them. No shorting electronics means a safe preamp and safe ER patients. An external power block, the PLS-226, was used to keep interference to a minimum.

The No. 26S came in 3 versions, a Balanced audio

Balanced audio

Balanced audio is a method of interconnecting audio equipment using impedance-balanced lines. This type of connection is very important in sound recording and production because it allows for the use of long cables while reducing susceptibility to external noise.Balanced connections use...

 version, a Phono

Phono

Phono may refer to:* Phone , speech sound, gesture or segment* Phonograph, regularly abbreviated to phono on buttons and jacks of audio equipment* RCA connector, called "phono" since they originally connected to phonographs...

version, and vanilla version that could do neither. There was only space for one expansion board inside the unit, so you could not put in the phono and the balanced board. This made the phono and balanced inputs on the unit shared, only one set could be active in the unit based on which board was present.

Specifications

• XLR Balanced Stereo Input and Output
• 3 Outputs: Main/Tape 1/Tape 2
• 6 Inputs: Tuner/Tape 1/Tape 2/CD/Aux 1/Phono or Aux 2
• 8 Selector Knobs: Input/Output Level/Record/Monitor/Phase/Balanced 1/Balanced 2/Stereo, Mono
• Voltage can be adjusted internally: 100, 120, 200, 220, 240VAC @ 50-60Hz