Every project has to begin somewhere. When Boulder's engineers began work on the Boulder 508 Phono Preamplifier they began with inspiration from the absolute pinnacle of vinyl playback: the 2008 Phono Preamplifier, easily the most celebrated phono stage of all time.
 
But that’s where the similarities end. Where the 2008 was pure excess, the 508 is pure efficiency. As the smallest Boulder in more than two decades, the 508 packs an enormous amount of performance in a single, small chassis. A chassis that is carved from a single block of metal, no less. All of the proper inputs, outputs, and adjustments are here. As is the one constant from every Boulder product since Day One: a stunning level of performance.
 
The 508 Phono Preamplifier is the perfect example of design efficiency: every feature that is not a necessity has been omitted, leaving only pure analog phono preamplification, a direct connection between you, the listener, and the work of your favorite artists captured in your record collection.
 
Compact Architecture
 
The 508 is a single-chassis phono preamplifier designed around the concept of removing every last bit of excess complexity or circuitry. Even the dimensions of the casework were calculated to take advantage of the most efficient use of raw materials in order to reduce discarded metal.
 
The main circuit board is a small, densely populated, surface-mount design that reduces PCB real estate and allows even the truly balanced input and output sections take up very little space. Surface-mount design also comes with the additional benefits of reducing excess capacitance and eliminating lead inductance for sound reproduction that is true to the actual recording.
 
The power supply is a small, ultraefficient design that is installed in its own pocket inside the casework to keep it isolated from the rest of the circuitry and minimize interference with the analog amplification section. This supply is also self-regulating, negating the need for voltage regulators with the additional benefits of reducing noise and heat within the chassis.
 
Basic Design
 
Controls and Connections
 
Because the 508 is by far the least complex product Boulder has ever created, the front panel includes only two controls: a single toggle switch to turn the 508 On or Off, and a Mute button to silence the outputs.
 
The rear panel hosts the AC power inlet, one pair each of balanced inputs and outputs (both via 3-pin XLR), the MM/MC switch, and an AC mains fuse.
 
Analog Design
 
The 508’s simplicity is key to its performance. The direct connection of a single pair of inputs means an unobstructed connection between your turntable and the initial gain stage of the phono preamplifier. There’s nothing to get between you and your music: no input switching, no additional circuitry, no wiring, nothing.
 
Input and output connections are fully balanced on 3-pin XLR connectors. Output impedance is 100 ohms (balanced) to maintain a non-reactive and neutral output stage capable of driving any preamplifier’s inputs.
 
Balanced circuitry was chosen to reduce noise and maximize resolution where it needs it most: with the tiny analog signal. Despite the fact that a phono cartridge is an inherently balanced design, phono preamplifiers with balanced inputs are still a rarity. By contrast, the 508 features fully balanced, instrumentation-style inputs.
 
Cartridge loading is set at 47k ohms for moving magnet (MM) and 100 ohms for moving coil (MC) cartridges. Loading is accomplished via surface-mount resistors with only a pair of tiny solder points in the signal path to minimize the number of connections between your turntable and the initial gain stage of the 508.
 
Phono equalization is accomplished with an active two-stage RIAA filter. This carefully tuned topology takes advantage of 30 years of expertise in building state-of-the-art phono preamplifiers and executed to ensure extremely accurate playback.
 
Finally, a built-in 10 Hz high pass filter has been implemented with carefully applied three-pole filtering to eliminate excess low frequency noise caused by warped or damaged records. Once again, the 508 lets nothing get between you and the very essence of your vinyl collection.
 
508 Power Supply
 
The 508’s power supply is a small, ultra-efficient supply that keeps the unit awake unless the master AC switch is turned off via the front panel. Because of the efficiency of the 508, the phono preamplifier can be left on at all times to avoid any necessary warm up or delays before listening. This supply can be made to operate at 100V, 120V, 200V, or 240V. This supply efficiency allows the 508 to pass even the toughest power consumption regulations.
 
Transformer hum is not permitted. In Basic Design order to eliminate any kind of hum or noise interference, the 508 was carefully designed with a power supply that is separated from sensitive audio circuitry by thick walls within the chassis and is also filtered to maintain absolute isolation.
 
Mechanical Design
 
The entirety of the 508’s casework is machined from a solid billet of 6061-T6 aluminum on Boulder’s own CNC machining centers. A small bracket to secure the front panel switch and button is the only other chassis part in the 508. The casework is then brushed, sanded, bead-blasted and anodized to give the casework Boulder’s signature satin finish. Boulder remains one of the last high-end electronics companies in the world to keep every aspect of manufacturing under its own roof.
 
The Best Part: the Sound
 
Despite its compact design, the 508 sounds supremely dynamic and expansive. The projected soundstage is vast and images are highly focused. Music is presented with incredible resolution and impact. It’s detail, low frequency speed, and power are experiences not to be missed.
 
All of these features make the 508 a muscular and transparent phono preamplifier that punches well above its weight. There’s an enormous amount of information captured in the grooves of your record collection.
 
We think it’s about time you heard it all.
 
FEATURES
Simple selection of MC or MM modes via switch on the rear panel
Elegant casework carved from a solid block of aluminum
Balanced inputs mean the perfect interface with the balanced output of phono cartridges
Integrated low-cut filter removes excessive low frequency information from warped or damaged records
Balanced outputs to minimize distortion and drive long cable runs with no loss of fidelity
Precision built and compact main PCB, produced on Boulder's own surface-mount circuit board manufacturing machinery