“Since the advent of the CD, listeners have been deprived of the full experience of listening.” - Neil Young PonoPlayers...
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Preamplifiers
PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium Stereo Tube Preamplifier
John E. Johnson, Jr. has posted a review, including a full suite of test measurements, of the PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium stereo tube preamplifier ($2199) at Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity. Here is a sample: The ProLogue was a perfect match with the pa21, producing lush, warm sound that put me into deep...
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Conrad-Johnson ET3 Preamplifier
Alan Sircom, Editor of Hi-Fi+, has posted a review of the Conrad-Johnson ET3 preamplifier ($2500) at AVGuide. His conclusions: If there’s one word that sums up the ET3 it’s ‘sumptuous’. Sound is full-bodied and natural sounding, enveloping the listener in the musical event in the way the c-j preamps always used to. You’d naturally...
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Abbingdon Music Research PH-77 Phono Stage
Michael Fremer has posted a review of the Abbingdon Music Research PH-77 phono stage ($11,995) at Stereophile. His conclusions: The PH-77 is a sweet, tonally well-balanced, quiet performer that produced a large, authoritative sonic picture packed with honest detail. Its weakest suit was its inability to produce full macrodynamic expression. While it was good...
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Soulution 750 Phono Preamp
Jonathan Valin has posted a review of the Soulution 750 phono preamp ($25,000) at AVGuide. His conclusions: My conclusion? The Soulution 750 is the most neutral, detailed, transparent-to-sources, lifelike solid-state phonostage I’ve yet heard. It will appeal to absolute sound listeners and fidelity-to-mastertape listeners equally. It is, in fact, what I would buy if...
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NAD PP 3 Phono Preamplifier with USB Output
Stereophile has posted a review of the NAD PP 3 phono preamplifier ($199) at its website. Its conclusions: In the PP 3 phono preamplifier, NAD has produced a detailed, uncolored, and dynamic performer. Its A/D converter is fairly impressive, and its USB recording function is a breeze to use with the VinylStudio Lite software,...
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Einstein Audio The Tube Mk.II Preamplifier
Michael Fremer has posted a review of the Einstein Audio The Tube Mk.II preamplifier ($18,400) at Stereophile. His conclusions: While the textural and harmonic aspects of the Einstein's sound could be dramatically changed by replacing its input tubes, The Tube Mk.II's overall performance was consistent in the ways that count most. The Tube Mk.II...
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Win Analog Z845 Preamplifier and S Series Monoblocks
Constantine Soo has posted his review of the Win Analog Z845 preamplifier ($45,000) and S series monoblocks ($120,000) at Dagogo. His conclusions: I wanted to convey what the Win Analog system did for me at this point in my review career. There was no doubt that my sensibility was thoroughly spoiled by the $90,000-per-pair...
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Sutherland 20/20 Phono Preamplifier
Tom Lyle Has posted a review of the Sutherland 20/20 phono preamp ($2,199) at Positive Feedback Online. His conclusions: There is no question that the top-notch Sutherland 20/20 will find a happy home in many systems. For audiophiles currently thinking of upgrading from a decent sub-$1500 model, buyer's regret is hardly an imaginable outcome—and...
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Abbingdon Music Research PH-77 Phono Preamplifier
Marshall Nack has posted a review of the Abbingdon Music Research PH-77 Phono Preamplifier ($11,995) at Positive Feedback Online. His conclusions: If music is your pleasure, you will find the new tube hybrid AMR PH-77 Reference Class Phono Equalizer an excellent communicator. Its strongest suit is clarity. Not the clarity of a component designed...
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Bryston BP26 DA Preamplifier and MPS2 Power Supply
Howard Kneller has posted a review of the Bryston BP26 DA preamplifier and MPS2 power supply at Soundtage! Hi-Fi. Here is a preview: The front panel of the BP26 DA has three rotary knobs (Source, Volume, Balance), four toggle switches (Polarity/Invert, Mute/Normal, Tape/Source, DAC 1/DAC 2), a headphone jack, an LED that glows green...
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Vitus Audio MP-P201 Masterpiece Series Phono Preamp
Michael Fremer has posted his somewhat controversial review of the Vitus Audio MP-P201 Masterpiece Series phono preamplifier at Stereophile/ His conclusions: The Vitus MP-P201's speed, transparency, three-dimensionality, frequency extension, rhythmic ability, musical grip, and any other parameter you could name—with the exception of what only tubes can do—took the overall sound to a new,...
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NuForce Icon HDP Headphone Amp/DAC/Preamp
Tom Martin has posted a review of the NuForce Icon HDP Headphone Amp/DAC/Preamp ($449) at Playback Magazine. His conclusions: As always, we should remind our gentle readers of the standard caveat that value is a function of your budget and your needs. That said, it is hard to imagine a logic that would find...
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Ray Samuels F-117 Nighthawk Phono Stage
Frank Alles has posted a review of the Ray Samuels F-117 Nighthawk Phono Stage ($795) at Stereo Times. His conclusion: The Ray Samuels F-117 Nighthawk phono stage is quite an impressive component. It features long battery life with fast recharging, front-panel rotary knobs for making gain and loading adjustments, and fantastic low-noise performance. Yes,...
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Fosgate Signature Phonostage and Fozgometer
Chris Martens has posted a review of the Fosgate Signature Phonostage ($2,500) and Fozgometer azimuth range meter ($250) at The Absolute Sound: His conclusions: Like many of you, I’m intrigued by the idea—first put forward by our own Jonathan Valin—of using a “truth-to-beauty” continuum to characterize the personalities of fine audio components. Where does...
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Allnic L-3000 Linestage Preamplifier
Jack Roberts has posted a review of the Allnice L-3000 linstage preamplifier ($9,900) at Dagogo. Here are his conclusions: There’s no way I could write this review and not talk about how the Allnic L-3000 and H-3000 sounds compared to my new reference, the Shindo Giscours preamp. In my review of the H-3000 comparing...
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Convergent Audio Technology CAT SL1 Legend Preamp
Wojciech Pacuła has posted a review of the Convergent Audio Technology SL1 Legend preamplifier on the Polish audiophile websit High Fidelity. Although English is not the author’s first language, the review is very informative and has the added bonus of lots of close-up photographs. Here is a preview: The inside of the device is...
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YS Audio's Audio Experience A2-SE Balanced Preamp
Dick Olsher has posted a review of YS Audio’s budget-priced Audio Experience A2-SE balanced preamplifier ($1650). His conclusions are as follows: It should be clear by now that the Audio Experience A2-SE requires careful system matching for optimum performance. It can lock-in on a Goldilocks — just right tonal balance — or at the...
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Allnic Audio H-3000 Phono Stage
Marc Mickelson has posted a review of the Allnic Audio H-3000 phono stage ($10,900) at The Audio Beat. His conclusions: Audiophiles and members of the audio press alike can become easily smitten with novel solutions to supposed issues of sonic reproduction, believing that pure reason always leads to better musical reproduction. Products like the...
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Audio Research Anniversary Reference 40 Preamplifier
Jonathan Valin has just posted impressions of the Audio Research Anniversary Reference 400 preamplifier to his blog. Some highlights: The Anniversary Edition Reference preamp is fundamentally different-sounding—not just than the Reference 3 or 5 but than any preamp, tube or solid-state, I’ve heard. The Anniversary Edition Preamp is also more realistic than any preamp...
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Audio Research Reference 5 Preamplifier
Jonathan Valin has posted a review of the Audio Research Corporation Reference 5 linestage preamplifier ($12,000) at The Absolute Sound. His conclusions: To sum up, the Reference 5 is a lower-noise, higher-resolution, higher-energy, altogether more discerning preamp than the Reference 3. A great soundstager like all ARC Reference preamps, it now brings sterling neutrality,...
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VAC Renaissance Mk III Preamplifier
Garrett Hongo has posted a review of the VAC Renaissance Mk III preamplifier at Ultra Audio. His conclusions: Whether as a $9900 line stage or as an $11,900 full-function preamp — both luxury prices — the VAC Renaissance Mk.3 nevertheless provides great value in terms of superb quality of sound, exceptional build quality, and...
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Nagra VPS Phono Stage
Graham Abbott has published a review of the Nagra VPS Phono Stage at Soundstage! His conclusion: The VPS delivers what Nagra’s promotional literature describes as a “sumptuous” sound. If you like your records to sound like the analog recordings they are, with a rich, deep tonal palette and soundstaging that delivers the original recording...
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Lamm LL1 Signature Stereo Tube Preamplifier
John E. Johnson, Jr. has posted a not surprising rave review of the Lamm LL1 Signature preamplifier ($42,690) at Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, along with a full suite of measurements. He concluded: I am not sure how to impart my true feelings about this product. It is difficult to do this...
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Lamm LL2.1 Preamplifier
John E. Johnson, Jr. has posted a review of the Lamm LL2.1 preamplifer ($5,990), along with a full suite of measurements, at Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity. His conclusions: In absolute terms, $6,000 for a preamplifier seems like a lot of money, and it is. But, I paid almost $3 for a...
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