I just acquired this tube preamp, now roughly 15 years old, for a song on the used market. I couldn't resist the hand made characteristics. Meanwhile, I bet it will sound great paired with either tube or solid state power amps. I'm willing to pay more for a separate preamp. But I'm not "able" to discern what represents good ROI with a line-level pre, especially in a bizzare age when the phono stage has been made a separate component by itself that manufacturers demand thousands of dollars in return for the good stuff.
There said, there are plenty of manufacturers that make great sounding and affordable phono-stages. Check out iFi , Vista Audio, or Schitt. Their stuff will usually sound WAY better than the phono stages that you'll find stuffed into a pre-amp or integrated.
One of the distinctive features of Blue Circle is the willingness of owner Gilbert Yeung's willingness to upgrade what he has built in the past to match his latest standards and innovations. I'm in queue for a "Level 1" upgrade to my BC21.1. I will be fascinated to hear the difference when the upgrade is complete:
Level 1 upgrade, (exisitng BC21 preamp is required) *External power supply dimensions approx: 4.25"w x 8.75"d x 5"h.*on board power supply filtering increased by 200%*output caps replaced by Blue Circle polypropylene type*HexFred rectifier in external power supply*gold plated selector switch replaces the original plastic switch*custom Blue Circle DC power cord between preamp and power supply Level 2 upgrade, (exisitng BC21 preamp is required) *External power supply dimensions approx: 4.25"w x 8.75"d x 5"h.*on board power supply filtering increased by 200%*high speed polypropylene caps as main filter in on board B+ supply*out board power supply filtering double as on board filtering capacity*output caps replaced by Blue Circle film and foil type*true dual power supply for separate B+ supply for each tube*dual HexFred rectifier in external power supply*gold plated selector switch replaces the original plastic switch*custom Blue Circle DC power cord between preamp and power supply Level Sugarbrie
*all new chassis preamp and power supply*totally custom preamp using one pair of 6SN7 supplied by customer*external power supply and preamp chassis size exactly the same as the original version of the BC3000.*Preamp size: 17.5"w x 14.5"d x 5.125"h*dual external and on board power supply for B+*power supply technology using AG3000 type design*dual HexFred rectifier in external power supply*Blue Circle film and foil output caps double level 2 upgrade for better bass performance*dual Shallco attenuator with 62 steps*dual gold plated selector switch*5 line level inputs and one loop*two pairs of main preamp outputs*tubes are mounted vertically in the preamp*custom Blue Circle DC power cord between preamp and power supply
[*=left]3 Line level imputs, 1 Tape input, 1 Preamp output, 1 Tape output
[*=left]Maximum output: 20 Vrms
[*=left]Tube complement: 2-6SN7
[*=left]Power requirement: 120 VAC 50/60 Hz, 38 W; also available for 100, 200, or 240 VAC
[*=left]Dimensions (w x h x d): 17.5" x 3.625" x 8.625" | 445 mm x 92 mm x 219 mm
[*=left]Weight (without packaging): 15 lbs | 6.8 kg
[*=left]Warranty: 3 years parts and labour, 90 days on tubes
BC21 Upgrade
This upgrade is available to owners of a BC21 or BC21.1 only. The BC21 and BC21.1 are no longer production items.
