Hydrophone Preamplifier Board
Selectable 6 - 56 dBV Gain, designed for use with passive hydrophones.
Regular price
$70.00
- Connects passive piezo sensors (hydrophones, accelerometers, geophones) to mixing consoles, digital recorders, and professional audio interfaces.
- Wide Adjustable Gain 6-56 dB via onboard jumpers and output wiring to match your sensor's output to your recording equipment.
- Operates on standard microphone phantom power or an external 6-12V DC supply, supporting both balanced (differential) and single-ended outputs.
- Low-impedance output drives very long cable runs without signal degradation.
- Optimized Input Impedance: 300 k-ohm to maximize signal stability and block disruptive ultra-low-frequency infrasound.
NOTE: This amplifier is not waterproof.
What's Included:
- Hydrophone DC or Phantom Preamplifier Board
We are committed to prompt service. Many standard hydrophone variants are kept in stock and often ship the next business day. Custom builds are frequently completed within one week, depending on quantity and configuration.
We ship worldwide using trusted carriers including UPS, FedEx, DHL, and USPS. Shipping rates are calculated at checkout. International customers may be responsible for import duties, taxes, or brokerage fees assessed at delivery by their country and carrier.
Transit times and customs clearance can occasionally cause delays outside our control. Customers using their own courier account, freight forwarder, or uninsured shipping methods assume additional responsibility once the shipment leaves our facility.
For complete details on shipping methods, insurance, international shipments, delays, freight forwarding, and liability terms, please see our full Shipping Policy.
- Aquarian made products are backed by a 1-year limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship under normal use.
- Resold products manufactured by third parties may be covered by the original manufacturer’s warranty, where applicable.
- Returns of unused, like-new products are generally accepted, subject to inspection and approval.
Please review our full policies for details on custom products, misuse conditions, returns, exclusions, and limitations.
The PA4 is primarily designed to connect passive piezo sensors, used in most hydrophones, to professional-grade microphone preamplifiers. These include preamps that are built into digital recorders, high-quality computer sound interfaces, PA systems, and mixing consoles. The PA4 will also be useful for many other sensors, such as geophones, accelerometers, contact microphones, and any device requiring a low-noise, high- impedance buffer that works within the human auditory spectrum and above.
When used with microphone preamplifiers, the PA4 is typically phantom-powered. It can also be supplied with external 6 ~ 12 volt DC power. Gain is user-adjustable from 6 to 56dB by jumper configuration and output wiring. Output can be differential (balanced) or single-ended. Other factory modifications can be made to extend bandwidth, gain and power options. Contact Aquarian Scientific with your specific needs.
The PA4's low-noise, high gain, and wide dynamic range can overcome the limitations of many recorders and sound interfaces, making these low-cost tools useful for both research and entertainment. Its low-impedance balanced output is suitable for driving very long cables. Its small size allows placement in almost any housing or container.
Use Group: Determines input impedance. This is not user adjustable. Default is 2.2 Mohms. When used with Aquarian Audio hydrophones, such as the H1a, H1c or H3, input impedance is set at 300 Kohm to better match the higher-capacitance sensors. This helps to block infrasound and will make the amp more stable with acceleration and pyroelectric noise.
CAUTION: The PA4 board has no protection for overvoltage on the DC power input terminal. Do not exceed 15VDC. See user manual and ensure all connections are within specification.
NOTE: This product is guaranteed to be delivered in working condition. No warranty period applies. Please see "Special Limitations" within our General Warranty Statement for additional detail.
