Buzz Audio MA 2.2 Class-A Preamplifier

*Note: Serviced Item.
This item is a previously sold item that was returned for defects.

Clean and fast doesn’t have to sound clinical—a fact clearly demonstrated when the MA-2.2 debuted over 20 years ago, setting a benchmark as a true Class-A amplifier engineered for absolute transparency. This unit has been recently serviced, including repair of a bent rack ear, tightening of the front panel, and replacement of a broken power switch. Please note: the power switch remains slightly flimsy, but fully functional. The unit has been tested and is confirmed to be in working condition. It comes complete with a power cord and user manual.

SHORT SUMMARY

• True Class-A Discrete Design — Uses Buzz Audio’s proprietary BE40 Class-A amplification circuitry for very wide frequency response and ultra-fast slew rates, delivering exceptionally pure, transparent sound with low distortion.
• Transparent Source-Revealing Performance — Engineered to provide clear, detailed, and accurate amplification that reveals the true character of the source without coloration or clinical sterility.
• High-Quality Audio Path & Power Supply — Over-engineered power supply with localized Class-A regulators ensures authoritative, tight low-end, and reliable performance across complex signals.
• Versatile Application — Excels on vocals, acoustic instruments, percussion, and a wide range of sources thanks to its transformer-less low-reactance input stage and low noise floor.
• Professional-Grade Build — Rack-mountable 1U design with robust components and optional high-spec Lundahl output transformers for added warmth and flexibility.

Buzz Audio MA-2.2 proves that “clean” does not need to sound clinical. Designed to provide transparent amplification that faithfully reveals the true source, this is a truly magical-sounding microphone preamplifier that simply gets out of the way of the music. If your goal is to capture sound with the utmost warmth, clarity, and realism, the MA-2.2 delivers in spades—and that reputation isn’t built on hype alone, but on decades of praise from hundreds of engineers who have relied on it since its original introduction.

At the heart of the MA-2.2 is Tim Farrant’s renowned “True Class-A” BE40 amplifier design, developed in the 1990s and still considered a benchmark today. With an exceptionally wide frequency response extending into the megahertz range and ultra-fast slew rates of 140V/µs even at 60dB of gain, the MA-2.2 achieves an open, effortless top end with vanishingly low distortion. An over-engineered power supply with localized Class-A regulation for each gain stage provides the authority and control needed for a tight, accurate, and musical low end.

In real-world use, the MA-2.2 shines across an impressively wide range of sources. Users consistently praise its vibrant, detailed response on acoustic guitar and percussion, its natural presence on vocals, and even its surprising weight and definition on kick drum. The transformer-less, low-reactance input stage with a Wima capacitor stack pairs beautifully with all microphone types, while an ultra-low noise floor—within 0.5dB of the theoretical minimum—means ribbon and dynamic microphones are handled with ease.

Put simply, there’s very little this preamp can’t record beautifully.