Review organized by Marc Loubeau / Prestige Audio Diffusion
Review sample kindly supplied by Terrason Audio
Retail prices in the Benelux, France, Monaco, and Switzerland incl. VAT:
Equinox Standard Preamp €54.900 (powder-coated finish) (as reviewed)
Equinox Signature Preamp €63.900 (premium high-quality painted finish)
Technical Details
The Halcro Equinox is a new preamplifier design, based upon the unique topology used in the acclaimed Halcro Eclipse power amplifiers. The Equinox preamp uses a proprietary, complex switch-mode power supply that switches at over 100kHz, well outside the audio band.
To ensure optimal performance and minimize interference with the delicate audio signal, the Equinox is a two-box design, with the power supply and control circuitry in one enclosure and all audio circuitry isolated in a separate chassis. The enclosures are machined from solid metal. Care has been taken to minimize resonance with internal bracing at strategic points within the chassis by using complementary materials selected for their damping properties. Both units are fitted with custom, height-adjustable, coned isolation feet and surface-protecting discs, designed to minimize structural resonance and reduce interference with delicate audio signals.
The Equinox’s Gain stages are derived from lessons learnt over many years of developing the current-generation Eclipse power amplifiers. In particular, the Equinox active gain stages are based on a new amplifier topology developed for the input stage of the new Eclipse power amplifier. Active components are configured to operate at the optimal point on the I-V (current-voltage) curve, resulting in negligible distortion (THD+Noise: 0.0002% @ 1 V output), high slew rate, fast transients, and an extremely linear response.
The Equinox preserves the signal’s phase integrity, a critical factor in reproducing music. If needed, for instance, to counteract out-of-phase recordings, there is a phase-inversion feature. Finally, there is a ‘ground-lift’ isolation switch for noisy systems.
The sharp, high-resolution OLED screen is also touch-enabled, making it easy to select and adjust settings directly. It operates very intuitively.
Balanced, Unbalanced, and Current Outputs
There are four balanced inputs and three unbalanced inputs per channel. Each channel has four balanced outputs, four unbalanced outputs, and two current outputs, a very rare option in audio. Current-loop interconnects are highly immune to environmental RF noise and can deliver significant performance improvements in noisy environments.
With its ship-like shape and rotary dial, the Remote Control is also rather unique. The buttons are touch-sensitive. The volume control works intuitively and offers fine control. The remote code overlaps with that of the CH L1 preamp, leading to a few confusing first moments as both preamps respond when either remote is used. Naturally, it is unavoidable that remote codes sometimes overlap, and this is a non-issue unless one owns both preamplifiers.
Next: Bridging and Bi-Amping
