AUDIO RESEARCH MODEL LS26

Pre owned. In excellent condition. Free from visible signs of wear. Supplied with remote control, original packaging, and manual.

The Audio Research LS26 was created to bring the sonic excellence of the legendary Reference 3 into a more accessible form, without compromising on quality or musicality. It is a preamplifier that embodies the Audio Research philosophy in its purest form: absolute transparency, control, dynamic range, and tonal naturalness that captivate the listener from the very first note. Every element of its design derives directly from the technologies developed for the Reference series, resulting in a component capable of delivering an authentic and immersive listening experience.

Visually, the LS26 echoes the refined aesthetics of the REF3, featuring a smaller vacuum-fluorescent display flanked by two knobs for volume adjustment and input selection. The front panel includes soft-touch controls for essential functions such as power, mono/stereo mode, balanced or single-ended selection, home theater bypass, monitor, and mute. All operational parameters — volume, balance, signal status, gain, and tube hours — are clearly displayed on the screen, which offers eight brightness levels or can be turned off completely.

The volume control, directly inspired by the REF3, is one of the LS26’s key strengths. Using a high-resolution 104-step system, it provides extremely precise and linear adjustment, maintaining perfect tonal consistency at every listening level. Thanks to intelligent microprocessor management, the preamplifier automatically stores all customized settings, including gain preferences, balanced or single-ended mode, phase inversion, and tube hours, even after it is powered off.

At its core, the LS26 features a Class-A hybrid circuit with zero feedback, where two long-life 6H30 tubes provide gain, while a fully regulated solid-state power supply ensures stable and noise-free current. Its wide frequency response, extending up to 160 kHz, and near-zero background noise allow the LS26 to perform flawlessly in any system, even in environments highly sensitive to electrical interference.

In terms of connectivity, the preamplifier offers both balanced (XLR) and single-ended (RCA) inputs and outputs, with low output impedance that allows it to drive virtually any power amplifier effortlessly. It also includes a 12 V trigger and a 15 A IEC connector, simplifying integration into complex or automated setups.

Sonically, the LS26 delivers a deep and engaging musical experience. The soundstage is naturally expansive and three-dimensional, with instruments and voices perfectly focused, free of grain or coloration. Its dynamic range is remarkable: the quietest passages are rendered with transparency and intimacy, while loud passages are reproduced with power and absolute control. The result is a direct, vivid, and immediate sound that connects the listener intimately with the performance.

The LS26 represents one of the finest expressions of Audio Research engineering, a world-class preamplifier that combines technical precision, extreme quietness, and exciting musicality, offering many of the qualities of the legendary REF3 in a more compact and accessible form for a wider audience of music enthusiasts.

Technical specifications:

• Frequency response: +0/-3 dB, 0.2 Hz – 160 kHz at rated output (balanced, 200kΩ load)
• Distortion (THD): <0.01% at 2V RMS balanced output
• Noise & hum: 1.3 µV RMS IHF-weighted residual equivalent input noise, volume at 1 (100 dB below 2V RMS output)
• Gain: Main output selectable for each input: 24 dB, 18 dB, 12 dB balanced; 18 dB, 12 dB, 6 dB single-ended;
• Record output: 0 dB (Processor input: 0 dB balanced)
• Input impedance: 120 kΩ balanced; 60 kΩ single-ended
• Output impedance: 700 Ω balanced; 350 Ω single-ended (main output)
• Output polarity: non-inverting
• Maximum inputs: Low Gain: 48 V RMS balanced, 24 V RMS single-ended; Medium Gain: 24 V RMS balanced, 12 V RMS single-ended; High Gain: 12 V RMS balanced, 6 V RMS single-ended
• Rated outputs: 2 V RMS 1 Hz – 100 kHz into 200kΩ balanced load (maximum balanced output 15 V RMS at <0.5% THD at 1 kHz)
• Power supplies: electronically regulated low and high voltage; automatic 50 sec warm-up/brown-out mute; line regulation better than 0.01%
• Tubes: 2 × 6H30
• Power requirements: 105–130 VAC 60 Hz; 210–260 VAC 50/60 Hz; maximum 50 W
• Other features: hybrid JFET/tube audio circuit; solid-state power supply; rotary volume selector (104 steps) and rotary input selector; 8 inputs: Tuner, Phono, CD, Video, Aux 1, Aux 2, Monitor, Processor (XLR and RCA connectors); 3 outputs: 2 Main, 1 Record (XLR and RCA); front panel buttons: Power, Monitor, BAL/SE, Proc, Mute; remote buttons: Display, Bal L, Bal R, Hours, Invert, Gain
• Dimensions (W × H × D): 48 × 13.4 × 30.5 cm (standard rack panel); handles extend 3.8 cm from front panel
• Net weight: 7.5 kg