Emotiva BasX PT-1 Preamplifier

The Emotiva BasX PT1 is a stereo preamplifier, DAC, FM tuner, and phono stage that sits within Emotiva’s BasX range of affordable audiophile components. It succeeds the PT-100, inheriting the same functional scope but with upgraded electronics, a streamlined menu system with remote-controlled FM station tuning, and a more modern design. Above it in the range sits the BasX PT2, which extends the specification with active bass management, home theatre bypass inputs, additional analogue and digital inputs, and Bluetooth reception up to 96kHz. The PT1 consolidates stereo preamplification, digital conversion, FM reception, phono amplification, and headphone output in a single 2U chassis.

Construction

The PT1 is built into a heavy steel 2RU chassis with a milled aluminium front panel. A universal switch-mode power supply accepts any mains voltage from 100 to 240VAC automatically, making the unit suitable for international use without reconfiguration.

Analogue Signal Path

All analogue inputs — line-level and phono — follow a pure analogue signal path without conversion to the digital domain. The line-level stage delivers a maximum output of 4 VRMS with a frequency response of 5Hz to 50kHz (±0.04dB), total harmonic distortion plus noise below 0.001% (A-weighted), and a signal-to-noise ratio exceeding 120dB.

Phono Stage

The built-in phono preamplifier supports both moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges, switchable via a rear-panel control. MM gain is 44dB with a signal-to-noise ratio exceeding 78dB (referenced to 5mV input). MC gain is 55dB with a signal-to-noise ratio exceeding 58dB (referenced to 0.5mV input). Frequency response in both modes follows the RIAA equalisation curve from 20Hz to 20kHz. MM total harmonic distortion plus noise is below 0.015% (A-weighted); MC is below 0.06% (A-weighted).

DAC & Digital Inputs

Digital conversion is handled by the Analog Devices AD1955, a 24-bit/192kHz converter. Three digital inputs are provided: one asynchronous USB, one coaxial S/PDIF, and one optical S/PDIF (Toslink), all supporting sample rates and bit depths up to 24-bit/192kHz. Through the DAC path, frequency response extends from 5Hz to 80kHz (±0.25dB) at 192kHz sample rate, with total harmonic distortion plus noise below 0.003% (A-weighted) and a signal-to-noise ratio exceeding 110dB.

Bluetooth

A built-in Bluetooth 5 receiver supports AptX, AptX HD, and AAC codecs, providing wireless connectivity for smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Maximum sample rate via Bluetooth on the PT1 is 44.1kHz; the PT2 raises this ceiling to 96kHz for those requiring higher-resolution wireless streaming.

FM Tuner

An integrated stereo FM tuner stores up to 15 station presets, programmable directly from the remote control. A mono mode is provided to improve intelligibility on weak or distant signals.

Outputs & Headphone Amplifier

The PT1 provides main stereo outputs, high-pass filtered outputs, and a subwoofer output with low-pass filtering. An independent headphone amplifier is built in, delivering 145mW per channel into 150 ohms, 127mW per channel into 47 ohms, 114mW per channel into 300 ohms, 90mW per channel into 33 ohms, 75mW per channel into 600 ohms, and 23mW per channel into 8 ohms.