Blue Cirlce
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BC21.1
BC3 Despina MkII
BC3 Galatea MkII
BC3000 MkII
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Solid State
BC103

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MSRP USD $3495

The release of the BC3 Despina has generated a lot of excitement at Harmonia Audio.  The original Despina represented what Blue Circle epitomized… elite level performance at a price that was affordable.  Now, with the MkII version, they are offering a level of performance that other companies would charge far more for!  You simply don’t get the musicality, low-end impact and decay, and musical ambience that the BC3 Despina MkII at this price point.

The MkII version has proven to be as much of a surprise as the other MkII versions.  There are similar improvements in low-end punch, weight, and detail.  As well, the mid range is a touch sweeter, and highs are more extended and airy.  The transient details and dynamics of the MkII version are just that much better… very engaging to listen to.

If you currently own the BC3 Despina and are interested in upgrading, please click here.  

Notes for people considering the BC3 series preamps:

The BC3 series of preamplifiers consists of the Despina and the Galatea.  The difference between the two is in the power supply used to power the BC3 preamp.  The BC3 Despina employs the BCG3 power supply while the Galatea uses the BCG3.1 power supply which is larger and possessing more filtering.

Now, Blue Circle had the consumer in mind when building these two.  They’ve made the BC3 Despina in a manner that allows you to upgrade to the BC3 Galatea without losing any money on your initial investment into the Despina!!  How many companies are this customer-friendly!!  The cost of the upgrade is simply the difference between the two MSRPs.  As well, for those of you who want the most from their music, both the Despina and Galatea are upgradeable to the BC3000 preamp!

Features:

• Dual Triode Single-ended Class A Topology
• Totally dual mono in the signal path including volume and input selector controls
• Totally handcrafted featuring point to point hardwiring and no PCB's in the signal path
• Acrylic signal board mounted on a pre-compressed spring assembly for mechanical isolation
• Extremely high gain and current capability for long interconnect runs

Specifications:

• gold plated RCA jacks.
• 3 inputs + 1 tape loop.
• optional processor bypass loop available
• silver plated teflon wire used exclusively in the signal path.
• simple and elegant circuit all hard wired no PC boards.
• HEXFred ultra high speed smooth recovery rectifiers.
• DC coupled from input to output.
• 1% metal film resistors used throughout.
• ultra wide linear bandwidth for SACD.
• airborne wiring technique to obtain low inductance and fast transient response
• high gain, high current design to facilitate long cable runs  between pre and power amp.
• preamp is turned "on" as soon as it is plugged into the mains and  remains "on" all the time. This ensures stable operation and eliminates the need for "warm-up."

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