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Ultra-Compact, Battery-Powered Preamplifier – Refurbished & Upgraded by Manufacturer Say goodbye to mains noise — enjoy a pure, silent background with battery power. This ultra-compact preamplifier has been professionally updated and refurbished to current factory specifications, including: High-speed PCB installed LED charge indicator: green = charged, red = low battery Voltage sensor to LED (FOC) All phono sockets replaced with gold-plated x10 Extra phono pair drilled, fitted & wired Both selector switches replaced with gold... read more
This is slightly ambitious, not crazy: at £950, it sits just above the £925 75th percentile and above the £896 median, so it’s priced at the top end of the recent GBP comp set rather than in bargain territory. It’s not a runaway overask, but I’d still want some room for negotiation unless the provenance is especially strong.
That said, this remains a worthwhile preamp if you want Crimson’s battery-powered take on a straightforward, low-noise line stage; the battery supply is the appeal here, and these are generally bought for their quiet background and unfussy, musical presentation. The upside is best when the unit is clean, complete, and properly cared for, because older battery-based gear can be very dependent on service history and usable accessories, so a good-condition example like this is most attractive if the battery system and charger arrangement are confirmed and working.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Crimson Audio is a UK-origin audio brand with roots in the late 1980s; one company history states that Crimson Products Ltd. began in 1987, and that ownership later passed in 1996 to its worldwide distributor, Virtual Reality Audio Systems Ltd. The brand’s public footprint is somewhat fragmented, so the heritage is best understood as a small British specialist rather than a large mainstream hi-fi manufacturer.
Its core focus appears to be audio transformers and related professional/studio hardware rather than domestic hi-fi components. Current product descriptions emphasize premium transformers for use in mic preamps, mixers, stage boxes, and direct boxes, while other Crimson-branded offerings have included audio cables. That makes the brand more relevant to recording and pro-audio buyers than to shoppers looking for speakers, turntables, DACs, or headphones.
In market terms, Crimson Audio sits in a niche boutique position. It is presented as a maker of premium components at relatively reasonable prices, which suggests an engineering-led, specialist brand rather than a mass-market one. For hi-fi buyers, Crimson is more likely to appeal to those seeking distinctive, utilitarian British audio design and studio-grade parts than to anyone shopping for a broad consumer-audio range.
See all Crimson Audio listings on RADAR.
