Description
Making more of your vinyl
The Audiolab PPA7 is a compact, high-performance phono preamplifier designed to bring greater clarity, control and versatility to vinyl playback.
Supporting both Moving Magnet (MM) and Moving Coil (MC) cartridges, the PPA7 combines precise cartridge matching and purpose-designed analogue circuitry with a dedicated current-feedback headphone amplifier, Bluetooth® transmission with aptX HD and high-resolution USB recording.
Beautifully engineered and effortless to use, the PPA7 brings Audiolab analogue performance to every part of the modern vinyl experience.
The Sound of Vinyl
A phono stage handles one of the smallest and most delicate signals in any HiFi system. The electrical output generated at the stylus requires significant amplification and precise equalisation before it is ready for an amplifier – making the quality of the phono stage fundamental to the performance of any turntable.
The PPA7 gives that signal the attention it deserves.
Its purpose-designed analogue circuitry provides the low-noise amplification, accurate RIAA equalisation and carefully controlled gain required to extract greater clarity, detail and musical expression from every record.
Whether upgrading from the phono input built into an amplifier or building a dedicated vinyl system, the PPA7 provides a compelling step up.
MM or MC? Made to Match
Different cartridges place different demands on a phono preamplifier.
The PPA7 is designed to accommodate both Moving Magnet and Moving Coil designs, with carefully selected loading options that allow performance to be optimised as your vinyl system evolves.
For MM cartridges, the standard 47k input impedance is complemented by selectable 100pF and 220pF capacitance, allowing the phono stage to be better matched to the cartridge and cabling.
Moving Coil users can select between 100R and 330R impedance loading, providing practical matching for a wide range of low-output MC cartridges.
This isn't flexibility for the sake of a specification sheet. Correct cartridge matching helps deliver the tonal balance, openness and control your cartridge was designed to provide – whether you're using the cartridge you own today or the one you upgrade to tomorrow.
Analogue by Design
The tiny signal generated by a phono cartridge leaves little room for compromise. Input noise, grounding, gain structure, power supply regulation, circuit layout and output-stage design can all influence what eventually reaches your amplifier.
The PPA7 has therefore been engineered as a dedicated analogue component rather than simply a phono input in another box.
Its purpose-designed analogue output stage delivers a clean, stable line-level signal to an integrated amplifier, preamplifier, power amplifier or active loudspeaker system – bringing Audiolab's long-standing approach to neutrality, low distortion and musical accuracy to vinyl replay.
Power to the Detail
Clean, stable power is fundamental when amplifying the extremely low-level signal produced by a phono cartridge. While the PPA7 is powered from a compact 12V DC supply, separate internal regulation stages generate symmetrical +8.5V and -8.5V power rails for its analogue circuitry.
This regulated architecture provides stable operating conditions throughout the phono amplification, equalisation and output stages, helping minimise noise and preserve the fine detail contained within the groove.
It's Audiolab's Sound of Science philosophy in action: purposeful engineering applied in service of the music.
Head-Fi Meets Vinyl
Great vinyl listening doesn't always need loudspeakers.
The PPA7 incorporates a dedicated current-feedback headphone amplifier, providing a direct, high-quality route from turntable to headphones. Its high slew rate and wide gain bandwidth are designed to deliver a dynamic, detailed listening experience across a broad range of headphone types.
It makes the PPA7 equally at home in the main HiFi system, a desktop setup or those late-night listening sessions when loudspeakers aren't an option.
Vinyl Without the Wires
The PPA7 brings another dimension to headphone listening with integrated Bluetooth 5.3 transmission and aptX HD.
Pair compatible Bluetooth headphones and your record collection is no longer tied to the listening chair. The PPA7 can also transmit to compatible Bluetooth speakers, opening up greater flexibility for turntable placement and everyday listening.
Wired playback remains the audiophile reference, but when convenience matters, Bluetooth gives the PPA7 another dimension – bringing vinyl to wireless headphones and speakers without changing the source that started it all.
From Record Collection to Digital Library
Some records deserve to be preserved beyond the shelf.
Rare pressings, treasured albums and versions unavailable on streaming services can be archived directly to a PC or Mac through the PPA7's USB-C recording interface.
Selectable sample rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz, combined with 16-bit or 24-bit recording, provide the flexibility to create high-quality digital transfers from your vinyl collection.
And the PPA7 goes further than a basic record output.
Adjustable USB recording gain from -12dB to +3dB allows the recording level to be optimised for different cartridges and records, helping maximise signal capture while reducing the risk of clipping on hotter pressings.
From groove to digital library, the PPA7 puts you in control.
Compact HiFi. Full Audiolab.
Compact dimensions don't mean compromised construction.
Designed to complement the Audiolab D7 and sit naturally alongside 6000 and 7000 Series components, the PPA7 combines an aluminium chassis, tactile rotary controls, a crisp 33mm OLED display and full remote operation.
Rather than hiding configuration switches underneath or behind the unit, the PPA7 makes cartridge setup and everyday operation accessible through its user interface.
Finished in Audiolab's signature Black or Silver, it's unmistakably part of the family – understated, purposeful and built around the system rather than the specification sheet.
Specifications
| Brand | Audiolab |
| Model | PPA7 |
| General Description | Phono Preamplifier |
| Design Philosophy and Core Technology | High-performance MM and MC Phono Preamplifier User-configurable Cartridge Loading Dedicated Current-feedback Headphone Amplifier Bluetooth® Transmitter Supporting aptX HD for Bluetooth Headphones or Speakers USB-C Audio Recording Interface for PC & Mac 33mm (1.3") OLED Display Low-noise Dual Power Supply Voltage Stabilising Circuit |
| Inputs | 1 x Phono (MM), 1 x Phono (MC), 1 x 12V Trigger |
| Outputs | Bluetooth 5.3, 1 x RCA, 1 x Headphone, 1 x 12V Trigger, 1 x USB Record Output |
| Pre | |
| Gain | +46dB (Phono MM) +60dB (Phono MC) |
| Input Sensitivity | 4.8mV RMS (MM Gain = 0dB, VOL = 0dB) 1mV RMS (MC Gain = 0dB, VOL = 0dB) |
| Input Impedance | 47k ohms (MM) 100 ohms/330 ohms (MC) |
| THD | < 0.003% (1kHz, VOL=0dB) |
| Input Overload Margin | MC Headroom = 5.9mV RMS, VOL = -20dB, THD<0.1% MM Headroom = 88mVrms VOL = -20dB, THD<0.1% |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz-20kHz (+/-0.5dB) |
| Output Impedance | 120 ohms |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | 80dB (MM) A-weighted 80dB (MC) A-weighted |
| Headphone Amplifier | |
| Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) | <0.01% (1kHz, 50mW) |
| Output Impedance | 2.35 ohms |
| Load impedance | 20-600 ohms |
| USB Record | |
| Sample Rate | 44.1-192kHz |
| Bit Depth | 16/24bit |
| General | |
| Standby Power Consumption | <0.5W |
| Net Weight | 1.42kg |
| Gross Weight | 2.11kg |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 208 x 56 x 180 mm |
| Carton Size (W x H x D) | 324 x 84 x 285 mm |
| Finish | Silver/Black |
| Power Requirements (depending on region) |
110-240V ~ 50/60Hz |
| Standard Accessories | Power adaptor, Remote Control, User Manual |
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