Universal Audio LA2A Classic Leveling Amplifier

True to the original design, UA’s famed tube-amplified T4 electro-optical compressor.
For over 50 years the Teletronix LA-2A has been revered for its smooth, natural, musical compression. WIth its unique tube-driven electro-optical attenuator system that allows instantaneous gain reduction with no increase in harmonic distortion, the LA-2A massages signals like no other compressor ever made.

The Teletronix Story
Teletronix founder Jim Lawrence first used photocells for controlling audio gain in the early 1960s. His ingenious optical compression design was a technological breakthrough, far surpassing the stability and transparency of earlier circuits. Universal Audio founder M.T. ”Bill” Putnam later purchased this patented technology, continuing to manufacture the LA-2A for years to come.

The Real Deal
Universal Audio’s Teletronix LA-2A Classic Leveling Amplifier reissue provides the performance characteristics of the iconic original. With painstaking care, every new LA-2A unit is point-to-point handwired at Universal Audio's Custom Shop in Santa Cruz, California, with every component carefully evaluated for authenticity. As a result, today’s LA-2A will bring the same legendary compression characteristics of the original to all of your recordings. Demand the original. Accept no copy.

Key Features

• True to the original in design, manufacturing and performance
• Lag free, distortion free optical attenuator system
• Distortion less than 0.5% THD
• 0 to 40 dB gain limiting
• Balanced stereo interconnection
• Frequency response 1 dB, 30 to 15,000 cps
• Output level of 10 dBm and 40 dB gain
• Low noise – less than 70 dB below ±10 dBm output

Technical Specifications

Input Impedance - 50, 150, 250, 600 ohms
Output Load Impedance - 50, 150, 250, 600 ohms
External Connections - Jones Barrier terminals and XLR connectors
Frequency Response - +0/-1 dB 30 Hz to 15kHz
Gain - 40 dB ±1dB
Input Level - +16 dB maximum
Output Level - +10 dB nominal, +16 dB maximum
Distortion - Less than 0.5% THD (0.25% typical) at ±10 dBm
Noise - 70 dB below +10 dBm output level
Attack Time - 10 microseconds
Release Time - 0.06 seconds for 50% release; 0.5 to 5 seconds for complete release
Meter - dB gain reduction and dB output
Power Requirements - 35 watts, 120/240 volts, 50/60 Hz
Environmental - Maximum operating temperature 160°F
Dimensions - 19" Rackmount chassis, 3U
Weight - 13 lbs.