ROLLO SE Tape Head Preamplifier — New Launch from NERENEAS for Reel-to-Reel Machines
Rollo SE — the new NERENEAS tape head preamplifier for reel-to-reel machines, featuring Capless Master Repro and a pure analog signal path.
NERENEAS Launches ROLLO SE — A New Tape Head Preamplifier for Reel-to-Reel Machines
For decades, reel-to-reel enthusiasts have been chasing the truest possible playback of master tapes. Yet, even with perfectly aligned machines, the weakest link often remained inside the deck itself: the built-in playback electronics. These circuits, designed for compactness rather than absolute fidelity, limit what the magnetic tape can really reveal.
The company NERENEAS has taken on that challenge with the introduction of ROLLO SE, a new-generation tape head preamplifier created for both professional studios and passionate audiophiles. ROLLO SE takes the signal directly from the playback head — before it ever touches the deck’s internal amplifiers — and treats it with a purity of design rarely seen in modern analog gear.
Why External Head Preamps Matter
By relocating the first stage of amplification outside the tape machine, ROLLO SE achieves full isolation between the delicate head signal and the noisy environment inside the deck. Motor power, transport logic, and ground interference are all kept at a distance. The result is a quieter, more stable signal foundation that preserves every nuance from the magnetic tape.
This approach mirrors what phono stages have long done for vinyl playback — extracting the raw signal at its source and amplifying it with utmost precision. ROLLO SE applies the same philosophy to reel-to-reel, but with even stricter requirements for bandwidth, noise, and linearity.
Capless Master Repro — A Pure Signal Path
At the heart of ROLLO SE lies Capless Master Repro, a proprietary NERENEAS technology that eliminates every coupling capacitor and transformer from the signal path.
The result is a direct, uninterrupted electrical connection between the tape head and the amplification stages. There is no dielectric absorption, no core saturation, no reactive phase shift — only the music itself, preserved with microscopic accuracy. This purist topology is the culmination of years of analog research by NERENEAS, blending measurement-driven engineering with a profound respect for musical realism.
NERENEAS Rollo SE — a new generation tape head preamplifier for reel-to-reel playback, built around the Capless Master Repro topology.
Design Philosophy
ROLLO SE is built around a minimalist single-ended architecture using JFET input stages and precision operational amplifiers. Its circuit layout minimizes parasitic interference and ensures exceptional transient response. The chassis, precision-machined and grounded independently from the deck, provides excellent shielding against EMI and vibration.
Every element — from the power supply rails to the routing of the feedback network — was tuned for transparency, dynamic headroom, and tonal integrity. The sonic result is a sound that is at once immediate, fluid, and profoundly analog.
A New Chapter for Analog Playback
With the resurgence of open-reel formats and the growing availability of master tape copies, ROLLO SE arrives at a perfect moment. It bridges the gap between the technical demands of the studio world and the emotional expectations of audiophiles who seek a living, breathing connection to music.
ROLLO SE follows the legacy of CASSIUS— the world’s first external tape head preamplifier for cassette decks — expanding the NERENEAS vision toward open-reel playback and professional analog performance.
NERENEAS has made a clear statement: the future of analog is not about nostalgia, but about progress — the continuous refinement of what magnetic tape can achieve when freed from outdated limitations.
Learn more about ROLLO SE at nereneas.com/rollo-se and discover how true master-tape playback can sound when nothing stands in the way of the signal.