RLD-1

About the RLD-1

The McCormack RLD-1, introduced after McCormack Audio was acquired by Conrad-Johnson in 1997, is an active line stage preamplifier praised for its powerful dynamics, clarity, transparency, and 3D soundstaging. It offers full remote control of volume, balance, and source selection with a high-performance solid-state volume control providing precise adjustment and excellent channel tracking. The numeric display shows level settings in dB. Key features include five line-level inputs (aux can be MM/MC phono with $395 option), tape loop, dual main outputs for bi-amping, detachable power cord, and a home-theater pass-through mode that sets unity gain for integration with A/V processors. It has a 120 dB volume attenuation range in 0.5 dB steps. The product is no longer manufactured and serviced by Conrad-Johnson. Upgrades like Rev A or Platinum Edition were available from designer Steve McCormack.