The Acoustic Signature Tango Apex Neo concentrates all the expertise of the German manufacturer. It has been designed to be paired with the finest cartridges and turntables on the market. It was conceived and manufactured without compromise.
Acoustic Signature Tango Apex Neo: chassis
The Tango Apex Neo is CNC-machined from a single 34.5 kg block of solid, non-magnetic aluminium. The chassis has been optimized to minimize resonances as much as possible.
On the front panel, a volume control on the left manages the variable output and the headphone amplifier level. Six small buttons handle power, input selection, and menu navigation. Four green LEDs indicate the corresponding selections. An LCD screen displays the various settings related to the selected phono inputs.
The rear panel is extremely comprehensive. It features balanced XLR inputs and outputs, as well as an unbalanced RCA output. Two RCA phono inputs are also provided. The Apex additionally offers separate grounding terminals for each phono input. All connections are of excellent quality and ensure exceptional contact integrity.
Acoustic Signature Tango Apex Neo: technology
The manufacturing and assembly of this phono preamplifier are entirely carried out in Germany according to the highest engineering standards, guaranteeing remarkable build quality. The design is fully horizontal dual mono, allowing for exceptional channel separation of -90 dB.
Input signal switching is handled by high-quality miniature relays. Gain can be individually adjusted for each input to 40 dB, 50 dB, 60 dB, or 70 dB. Input impedance can also be individually adjusted for each input to 47 Ω, 100 Ω, 220 Ω, 470 Ω, 1 kΩ, or 47 kΩ, with all values resulting from parallel circuit combinations.
The base input capacitance is below 100 pF, but switchable capacitance settings of 100 pF and 220 pF are available for the unbalanced inputs. These two capacitances can also be activated simultaneously, offering three values (C1, C2, C1+C2).
A switchable subsonic filter operating at 20 Hz with a -24 dB slope can also be activated. It guarantees minimal distortion while significantly reducing background noise and hum.
The Tango Apex Neo features an oversized power supply built around two 25 VA toroidal transformers mounted on a dedicated power supply board to ensure absolute current stability. The entire assembly is fixed to a specially shielded steel plate to avoid any interference with the phono signal. The digital controls are fully galvanically isolated from the analog power supplies.
The Tango Apex Neo uses individually selected high-end components. Its semi-active RIAA equalization achieves extreme precision, with a deviation of less than ±0.13 dB from the ideal standard curve. It also offers a signal-to-noise ratio of -73 dB and an exceptionally low distortion level of 0.06%.
The sophisticated output stage operates entirely in pure Class A. It guarantees minimal distortion and an extremely low noise floor. XLR and RCA outputs can be switched between fixed and variable modes via a 100-step volume control.
The Acoustic Signature Tango Apex Neo also includes a very high-quality headphone amplifier with a maximum output voltage of 8.5 V RMS, making it compatible with 99% of high-end headphones available today.
Acoustic Signature Tango Apex Neo: sound performance
The Acoustic Signature Apex Neo delivers an extremely analog and surprisingly natural sound reproduction. The soundstage is both wide and deep, clearly benefiting from the uncompromising dual mono design. Operational noise is exceptionally low.
The inaudible background noise reveals countless micro-details and subtleties usually masked by traditional phono preamplifiers. The midrange is precise and highly natural. Vocals are reproduced with remarkable presence, finesse, and realism. The treble offers absolute transparency, with reverberations rendered with exceptional texture and realism.
As with all products from the manufacturer, the bass is tight, dynamic, and articulate. However, it also provides outstanding weight and authority without heaviness. Like Acoustic Signature turntables, the sense of dynamics across the entire frequency range is truly incredible, bringing life and nuance to the music.
Naturally, the overall presentation focuses on realism and musicality without excessive romantic coloration.
FranckGain: 40 dB, 50 dB, 60 dB and 70 dB.
Unbalanced RCA inputs: 2
Balanced XLR input: 1
Resistive loads: 47, 100, 220, 470, 1000, 47000 ohms
Capacitive loads: 0, 220, 320 pF
Channel separation: > 89 dB (1 kHz)
Distortion: <0.01%
RIAA accuracy from 30 to 20,000 Hz: ±0.2 dB
Subsonic filter: 24 dB at 15 Hz
Weight: 34.5 kg
