ALD-1

About the ALD-1

The McCormack ALD-1 is a solid-state Active Line Drive preamplifier combining active and passive signal paths, offering both buffered and unbuffered operation for line-level sources. It provides multiple high-level inputs including a dedicated passive input, balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA main outputs, and tape loop facilities. An optional plug-in phono preamplifier module can be fitted in one input position, supporting both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges with selectable gain and RIAA equalization. The active line stage uses low-impedance, wide-bandwidth solid-state circuitry with a specified frequency response of 0.5Hz to 300kHz, THD below 0.05%, and line-stage gain of approximately 13dB. Phono performance is specified with input sensitivities of approximately 0.9mV (MC) and 5mV (MM) and signal-to-noise ratios of approximately 75dB (MC) and 80dB (MM). The chassis measures 19" W x 4 3/8" H x 11 1/2" D and weighs approximately 16 lbs. Known for its neutral, dynamic, and transparent presentation, the ALD-1 was positioned as McCormack's flexible high-resolution line-level control center with optional high-performance phono capability.