ZYX CPP-1 Pre-PreAmp

“This is, most likely, the finest head-amp I’ve ever heard. I state this because it is competitive with the finest transformers I’ve had, while all the many other (external) head-amps I’ve heard are simply not in that league.

Disclosure- The ZYX head-amp is a solid-state device! It is highly unusual for a successful cartridge manufacturer to also design and build an audio component that is so different in fundamental nature (non-mechanical in this instance), with such excellent performance.”

Arthur Salvatore, high-endaudio.com

ZYX CPP-1 is a Pre-PreAmp. It is not a step up. Nakatsuka san used to make some very popular and good step ups which had to be discontinued (some parts were no longer available).

Statements below are from Nakatsuka san:

The input resistor is a very important part of the pre-pre amplifier. It is the first load of the generated signal of MC cartridges. The minute signals should go into the resistor without any influences from resistor noise and inductance. So that we recommend the made of pure copper wire.

CPP-1 uses the world’s first cryogenically purified crystal copper wire which is the same one as the coil wire of our R1000 series X type cartridge. The resistor is made by winding the wire to a coil that has no inductance in special process. The our resistor can transfer the output signals with no noise and no inductance at all.

You can hear its impact in the pure sound of the CPP-1.

ZYX CPP-1 Pre-PreAmp Features:

1. Input Resistors made by ZYX: The input resistor is a very important part of the pre-pre amplifier. It is the first load of the generated signal of MC cartridges. The minute signals should go into the resistor without any influences from resistor noise and inductance. So that we recommend the resistor made of pure copper wire. CPP-1 uses world’s first Cryogenically Purified Crystal Copper Wire which is the same one as the coil wire of our R1000 series X type cartridge. The resistor is made by winding the wire to a coil that has no inductance in special process. Then our resisotr can transfer the output signals with no noise and no inductance at all. You can hear its impact in the pure sound of CPP-1.
2. 100% Playback Circuit: In order to play back the sound information of MC cartridge in 100T fidelity, CPP-1 has a special circuit in the simplest amplification circuit. Normally electric part has its own time domain, and it gives unbalanced sound in result. So ZYX had to correct each time domain by applying our own circuit.
3. Noiseless Power Circuit: CPP-1 works with 10 pcs. of Ni-Cad batteries in order to avoid normal power circuit noises. So the minute signal of MC cartridge can be clearly amplified in the circuit.
4. Low Noise Charge Circuit: You can listen to music at any time. Normally you use CPP-1 with battery power supply, but you can use it while chargeing from AC, too.
5. Electrically Skeleton Wooden Box: A metallic shield box makes the sound signals distrubed by some eddy current generated on the shield surfaces. So, CPP-1 has no metallic surface around the circuitry. It will enable you to listen the effect with fast response in the sound presence.