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Rogue Audio RH-5 preamplifier-headphone amplifier
Every day in my bunker, I use one of a few high-quality headphone amplifiers to double as a line-level preamplifier-controller and operate as the quality-assurance reference for my ongoing audio...
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Counterpoint SA-7 preamplifier
In appearance the Counterpoint SA-7 tube preamplifier is quite attractive, possessing the thin, low-profile look currently in vogue. There is a mute switch which (if you remember to use it) protects...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Preamplifier Faceoff: Ayre & PS Audio
In the March 2018 issue, Art Dudley admired the sound quality of Ayre Acoustics' KX-5 Twenty preamplifier, but didn't love some of its operational aspects. I've staged this Follow-Up as a putative...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Conrad-Johnson PV-4 preamplifier
In appearance Conrad-Johnson's PV4 is distinctly plain: a basic black and silver box with a few simple knobs and buttons. The controls are logically laid out, clearly labeled, and work properly. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Audible Illusions Modulus preamplifier
Once upon a time, all audio equipment used vacuum tubes. In recent years, however, tubes have become the exclusive province of super high-end audio. It is more expensive to accomplish any particular...
View ArticleClik here to view.
AVM Ovation PA 8.2 modular preamplifier
The digital ground seems to shift weekly. While firmware and software updates over the Internet somewhat slow the constant upheaval, when you do buy something, you just know that as soon as you plunk...
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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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PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium line preamplifier
Everyone knows that world-class analog and digital sources are the bedrock of all fine audiophile systems. Everyone also knows that a happy relationship of amplifier, speakers, and room makes...
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TARA Labs Space & Time Passage preamplifier
Better known for their speaker cables and interconnects, The Absolute Reference Audio Labs (TARA Labs) has quietly branched out into electronics and loudspeakers. Their Passage is a line-levelonly...
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Listening #177: Shindo Monbrison preamplifier
In January of 2014, some of us wondered if the sudden death of designer Ken Shindo would spell the end of the company he founded in 1977: It was hard to imagine Shindo Laboratory being led by anyone...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rogue Audio RH-5 preamplifier-headphone amplifier
Every day in my bunker, I use one of a few high-quality headphone amplifiers to double as a line-level preamplifier-controller and operate as the quality-assurance reference for my ongoing audio...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Counterpoint SA-7 preamplifier
In appearance the Counterpoint SA-7 tube preamplifier is quite attractive, possessing the thin, low-profile look currently in vogue. There is a mute switch which (if you remember to use it) protects...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Preamplifier Faceoff: Ayre & PS Audio
In the March 2018 issue, Art Dudley admired the sound quality of Ayre Acoustics' KX-5 Twenty preamplifier, but didn't love some of its operational aspects. I've staged this Follow-Up as a putative...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Conrad-Johnson PV-4 preamplifier
In appearance Conrad-Johnson's PV4 is distinctly plain: a basic black and silver box with a few simple knobs and buttons. The controls are logically laid out, clearly labeled, and work properly. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Audible Illusions Modulus preamplifier
Once upon a time, all audio equipment used vacuum tubes. In recent years, however, tubes have become the exclusive province of super high-end audio. It is more expensive to accomplish any particular...
View Article