Upscale preamp only 80 mm high, an unprecedented size at the time. This component is installed in rack mount systems. To make the "simple is best" design policy a reality for all components in the 88 series, an elegant, well-integrated front panel was created, as if the unit's functions were projected onto its external appearance. Left and right channels are completely separate, and the shortest path for electric signals in a flat circuit was determined to create a preamp narrower than ever.