Chris Martens has posted a review of the iFi Audio Retro music system (£1650) at Hi-Fi+. His conclusions: “The more I used the Retro system, the better I liked it. In small-to-mid-size rooms it produced a pure, beautifully focussed, and intensely three-dimensional sound that would do many a costly and complex high-end system proud....
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Jack Roberts has posted a review of the Margules Audio SF220.15 20th Anniversary preamplifier ($4599) at Dagogo. His conclusions: “I would be remiss if I didn’t reiterate about the rich and musical harmonics this preamp allows me to hear. There is just something in the reproduction of the harmonic structure of the music that...
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Jason Kennedy has posted a review of the Music First Audio Baby Reference V2 passive preamplifier (£6120) at Hi-Fi+. His conclusions: “As you might surmise I’m rather impressed with the Music First Baby Reference V2, it’s one of those products that I dare not use too much because it’ll make living without it unbearable....
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Srajan Ebaen has posted a review of the Audiopax Maggiore L50 preamplifier (€18’000) and M50 power amplifier (€31’000/pair) at 6moons. His conclusions: “The L50 is a text-book moving target. Whatever I write about it is a mere freeze frame of many possible others. Change the TimbreLock and with it your opinion. If it operated...
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Thom Moon has posted a review of the NAD C 510 Direct Digital preamplifier-DAC ($1299) at SoundStage! Access. His conclusions: “Bottom line: If you’ve moved to an all-digital system or are contemplating doing so, you owe it to yourself to listen to a C 510. It’s an exceptional achievement, especially considering its reasonable price.”...
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Erich Wetzel has posted a review of the Rogue Audio RP-5 preamplifier ($3500) at SoundStage! Ultra. His conclusions: “From the evidence presented to me by this model, the folks at Rogue Audio like their equipment to sound great, look attractive, and feel satisfying to the touch. The RP-5 is a preamp that, I, too,...
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Jack Roberts has posted a review of the Pass Labs Xs preamplifier ($38,000) at Dagogo. His conclusions: “I think it is safe to say that in the creation of the Xs Preamp, Wayne Colburn and his team at Pass Labs has set a new standard for transistor preamps and in most ways for all...
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Wojciech Pacula has posted a review of the Audio Tekne TFM 2000 preamplifier (€20,000) and TEA 2000 (€20,000) at High Fidelity. His conclusions: “The short version of the summary could go like that: this is a system for a music lover, for someone who expects a performance rich with emotions, who appreciates firstly substance...
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Greg Voth has posted a review of the Elliott Studio Arts Model 66-001p preamplifier ($3990) at Stereo Times. His conclusions: “There’s much to love about music played thru the Elliott Studio Arts Series Sixty-Six Model 66-001p stereo preamp. It’s quite transparent and neutral, something that can’t be said about my Conrad Johnson PV-5 preamp....
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Alan Sircom has posted a review of the AVM Evolution SD 5.2 streaming DAC-preamplifier (£5100) at Hi-Fi+. His conclusions: “The AVM Evolution SD 5.2 is the perfect example of audio done right for 2015. It’s a fine replacement to about three or four separate devices in one simple box. It’s a joy to use,...
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Jerry Seigel has posted a review of the Ayre K-5xe MP preamplifier ($3500) at 10 Audio. His conclusions: “I have high expectations and requirements for any preamplifier to survive listening to for more than a few hours. To paraphrase the expression “time is money”: when listening to music, time is pleasure. I thoroughly dislike...
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José Victor Henriques has posted a review of the Constellation Audio Inspiration 1.0 preamplifier (£10,000) ans stereo amplifier (£10,000) at Hi-Fi News and Record Review. His conclusions: “Constellation’s Inspiration Series is aptly named for the Preamp and Stereo 1.0 power amp combination reproduces music with a freedom, neutrality and conviction that belies even this...
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Robert J. Reina has posted a review of the Valve Amplification Company Signature SE preamplifier ($19,500; $26,000 with optional phono stage) at Stereophile. His conclusions: “The Valve Amplification Company’s Signature SE preamplifier is the most significant audio product I’ve ever hooked up to my reference system. It was flawless. Overall, based on my aural...
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Michael Lavorgna has posted a review of the NAD C 510 Direct Digital preamplifier-DAC ($1299) at AudioStream. His conclusions: “Listening to and living with the NAD proved to be musically satisfying and the few shortcomings I heard mainly dissolved over time. Of greater importance than what the C 510 does not do is what...
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Stephen Dawson has posted a review of the Ruark Audio R2 MkIII compact networked audio system ($799) at AVHub. His conclusions: “While we would like to see Ruark set up the headphone output to deliver better quality, as a tabletop audio system the Ruark Audio R2 provides truly excellent access to a wide range...
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Marcin Olszewski has posted a review of the Abyssound ASP-1000 preamplifier (~€4900) and ASX-1000 power amplifier (~€7500) at Sound Rebels. His conclusions: “After eliminating the duo from the sound path everything became less present, less obvious, less palpable. The organic musicality and natural lack of constraints in terms of micro and macro dynamics are...
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Paul Candy has posted a review of the Teddy Pardo PR1 preamplifier ($1749) and MB100 monoblock power amplifiers ($2598/pair) at 6moons. His conclusions: “he PRE1/MB100 totally belied their appearance, size, price and power rating and behaved as I would expect from significantly costlier separates. These boxes from Israel ranked in many ways amongst the...
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Peter Roth has posted a review of the Audio Research Reference 10 preamplifier ($30,000) at SoundStage! Ultra. His conclusions: “To me, the result is clear: The ARC Reference 10 is one of the most thrilling, intoxicating, musically engrossing preamplifiers ever made. Congratulations to Audio Research Corporation for their aspirations and their execution. Kudos, too,...
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Greg Voth has posted a review of the Clones Audio API preamplifier ($775) and 55PM monoblock amplifiers ($1400/pair) at Stereo Time. His conclusions: “If in the market for affordable, well-built separates, the Clones Audio components are a great place to start. Your search might just end there.” You can read the full review here.
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Jacek Pazio has posted a review of the McIntosh C1000T preamplifier ($9000), MC2301 amplifier ($22,000/pair), and MCD1100 SACD player ($11,000) at Sound Rebels. His conclusions: “It was the first time I hosted a complete set made by the American McIntosh and only now I can make any statement about it. I was really surprised...
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Dave Clark has posted a review of the DEQX PreMate pramplifier-DAC ($4995) at Positive Feedback. His conclusions: “The PreMate is that good as a DAC. The music is clean, articulate, grain-free, extended, palpable, loads of texture and space… it is damn good. But it is also a preamp… and corrects for speaker and room...
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Kal Rubinson has posted a review of the Classé Sigma SSP surround-sound preamplifier-processor ($4000) in his Music in the Round column at Stereophile. His conclusions: “In designing this lower-priced preamplifier-processor, Classé seems to have made all the right choices without sacrificing sound quality in any way. In fact, I suspect that it may be...
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Jack Roberts has posted a review of the 47 Labs Midnight Blue audio system ($11,300) at Dagogo. His conclusions: “I have not tried to rewrite each of the reviews that have already been published. This review is more of a conclusion to all the 47 Labs Midnight Blue reviews. The closing thought I would...
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Art Dudley has posted a review of the Luxman Classic CL-38u preamplifier ($4200) at Stereophile. His conclusions: “nd after a couple of months with the Luxman in my system, I was still in no great rush to push it out the door. Throughout that time, I derived no less pleasure from my music collection...
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Fred Kaplan has posted a review of the Simaudio Moon Evolution 740P preamplifier ($9500) at Stereophile. His conclusions: “However, the 740P costs a lot less—$9500 vs the XP-30′s $16,500 and the Moon Evolution 740P definitely ranked high in the league of last words. It’s a league I’d never dwelled in for very long, and...
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