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Rogue Audio RP-7 line preamplifier
You know I'm a lucky guy. I maintain two separate audio reviewing systems. The core component of my beloved, daily-driver desktop system is a Mytek Brooklyn DAC-preamp-headphone amp. Through this...
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PrimaLuna EVO 400 preamplifier
I am an artist-painter and an audiophile. When I listen to recorded music, I sit in the sweet spot and stare at the empty space between the speakers. And while I listen, I survey and critique the...
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Audio Research LS5 preamplifier & BL2 input controller
From the front, the LS5 looks identical to Audio Research's popular LS2: two knobs on either side of the Audio Research nameplate, and a row of toggle switches along the bottom. But that's where the...
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Listening #209: Luxman CL-1000 preamplifier
It may come as no surprise that the two Recommended Components issues we publish every year, in April and October, are Stereophile's most popular. Both go hand-in-hand with increases in single-copy...
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Audio Research Reference 6SE line preamplifier
"As long as you're happy." That's the line long uttered by the most dreaded members of my family, and their friends, whenever they tried to pry into my personal affairs. Often the last word, "happy,"...
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Zesto Leto Ultra II line preamplifier
What sort of audiophile are you? I think of myself as a critical listener, perhaps a purist, definitely an enthusiast, of music and audio, who enjoys both the journey and the nuts and bolts. I like my...
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Two August 2021 FollowUp Reviews
Stereophile's August 2021 issue contained further looks and listens to two high-performance products: the Audio Research REF 6SE line preamplifier and the AudioQuest Niagara 3000 Low-Z Power...
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Conrad-Johnson PV-5 preamplifier
The $1485 PV-5 is a "budget" version of C-J's $2850 Premier Three preamplifier, but according to the manufacturer it embodies much the same kind of circuitry. Tubed preamplifiers have a well-earned...
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Three FollowUp Reviews
Stereophile often subjects products that have been reviewed to further coverage: sometimes because there was an aspect of performance that needed further investigation; other times because there was a...
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Schiit Freya + line preamplifier
What am I doing with a vacuum tube preamplifier? I haven't owned a tubed preamp since I bought a Sonic Frontiers Line 3 preamplifier at the turn of the century. I set that aside within a few years as I...
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Engström Monica Mk3 line preamplifier
Have you ever walked through fresh snow in the woods with all your senses heightened? When I did, shortly before the New Year, it was as if I was seeing nature for the first time, through a fresh lens....
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Two Preamplifier FollowUp Reviews
Two high-performance preamplifiers were subjected to further listening in recent issues. Jason Victor Serinus wrote about Rotel's Michi P5 in September 2022; Jim Austin auditioned the Audio Research...
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Miyajima Lab Wo-1 preamplifier
A phenomenon formerly unique to Japan, which in recent years has been emulated in cities around the world, is the jazz café (known as jazz kissa in Japan; footnote 1), where salarymen can find respite...
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Audio-GD Vacuum HE1 XLR line preamplifier
In red letters on the first page of Chinese audio manufacturer Audio-GD's website are these words: Wisdom in mind, enthusiasm at heart. I like this goodwill greeting because it sets a mindful tone. I...
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McIntosh C12000 preamplifier
As I was talking with an audio-retailer friend recently, he reached for a Rolls-Royce metaphor to describe the McIntosh brand. Expensive? Sure, but not as expensive as some boutique high-end products....
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