Preamps!

[tom_hankins]

Well Mikhail told me I would have some kind of balanced preamp as a loaner if my Maestro was not done before turkey-day. I get home today and here's a box with the Transparency SS balanced preamp in it. It detroys the Musical Fidelity cold out of the box. just so much more of everything. Not on the level of my Ayre K-1xe, but close. Not quite the detail or air in the top end. Better bass, and midrange is a little fuller with the SP. Overall a very smooth and relaxed preamp. A little soft on top, awesome midrange, and great bass. I can live with this until my Maestro gets here. Some photos in system and the mandatory vinyl shot.

Photos attached of:

The current system...

Preamp

Turntable

[deepak]

Well Mikhail told me I would have some kind of balanced preamp as a loaner if my Maestro was not done before turkey-day. I get home today and here's a box with the Transparency SS balanced preamp in it. It detroys the Musical Fidelity cold out of the box. just so much more of everything. Not on the level of my Ayre K-1xe, but close. Not quite the detail or air in the top end. Better bass, and midrange is a little fuller with the SP. Overall a very smooth and relaxed preamp. A little soft on top, awesome midrange, and great bass. I can live with this until my Maestro gets here. Some photos in system and the mandatory vinyl shot.

Photos attached of:

The current system...

Preamp

Turntable

Pics man, pics!! (of the insides too)

[tom_hankins]

Pics man, pics!! (of the insides too)

I attached some pics. I am not taking the system apart to take pictures of the preamp. When it comes out and the Maestro goes in. Maybe then.

[Dusty Chalk]

It detroys the Musical Fidelity cold out of the box.

Which Musical Fidelity pre are you comparing it to?

[deepak]

I attached some pics. I am not taking the system apart to take pictures of the preamp. When it comes out and the Maestro goes in. Maybe then.

Tom, I'm not able to see the pictures, though when I look at your post I do see that you attached some images.

Can you try the Head-Case gallery? http://www.head-case.org/index.php?action=gallery

Otherwise just send me a message and I can host them in my H-C gallery space.

[tom_hankins]

Are they not showing up? Or just not enlarging? I am getting them fine.

PM me your email address and I will email the copies and you can post them if you want.

[tkam]

The pics work fine for me as well.

[postjack]

Tom, I'm not able to see the pictures, though when I look at your post I do see that you attached some images.

Can you try the Head-Case gallery? http://www.head-case.org/index.php?action=gallery

Otherwise just send me a message and I can host them in my H-C gallery space.

I see the pics fine, jpak. They enlarge real nice when I click them.

the pics are probably a south of the mason-dixon line only thing.

[deepak]

edit: ah damn sorry about the hassle Tom, it was my Adblock filters in Firefox that was blocking the images, I can see them fine in Internet Explorer. Great looking setup.

The remote for the preamp looks like the one that Jay linked in my Avantgarde thread: http://eshop.diyclub.biz/product_info.php?cPath=85&products_id=195

Do you know what sort of volume control it has?

[purk]

jpak,

I can see pics just fine.

[tom_hankins]

edit: ah damn sorry about the hassle Tom, it was my Adblock filters in Firefox that was blocking the images, I can see them fine in Internet Explorer. Great looking setup.

The remote for the preamp looks like the one that Jay linked in my Avantgarde thread: http://eshop.diyclub.biz/product_info.php?cPath=85&products_id=195

Do you know what sort of volume control it has?

I emailed them to you anyway. the remote is normal little plasitc job. it does volume, input, mute and mono.

[deepak]

I emailed them to you anyway. the remote is normal little plasitc job. it does volume, input, mute and mono.

I mean the device that actually controls the volume (inside the amp), from the display it looks like a 100 position stepper. And if it's a proprietary SinglePower controller.

It's a great looking unit.

[tom_hankins]

I mean the device that actually controls the volume (inside the amp), from the display it looks like a 100 position stepper. And if it's a proprietary SinglePower controller.

It's a great looking unit.

it is a 100 position stepped. I'm suprised how nice this thing sounds. I wonder what they cost? The only thing missing between this and the big $$$ preamps is a little dynamics and its a little soft on top. It has a really nice midrange and just the right amount of bloom in it. Soundtage is deep and wide. Not sure how much its been used. Might open up some more in a few days? I cant wait for my Maestro though!

[Nanoha]

Well Mikhail told me I would have some kind of balanced preamp as a loaner if my Maestro was not done before turkey-day. I get home today and here's a box with the Transparency SS balanced preamp in it.

Looks great tom! Special treatment from Mikhail is also very sweet. Do you have any ideas as to how much the production preamp would cost?

[tom_hankins]

Looks great tom! Special treatment from Mikhail is also very sweet. Do you have any ideas as to how much the production preamp would cost?

hes not sure on price yet. He did say it has about 50 hours on it so I'm thinking that the 32 blackgates in it are not close to opening up yet. Not sure how special the treatment is. But he did me a big favor kowing my family is in for T-day and I wanted to have my system sounding better than with MF preamp. Anyway since I am at the 7 month mark on the maestro and I already dropped big $$$ on the SDS and SDS-XLR, maybe that bought me a solid from Mikhail.

I talked to him this evening about opening up the treble on them if they go into prodution and he said no problem. Mikhail as absolutly nailed the midrange on this pre. I have owned and auditions a bunch of pres in my system over the last 2 years and this is at least as good if not the best I have heard the midrange sound in this system. Prices ranged from $4-14K on the others. My favorites being the SDS-XLR, VTL 7.5, and Ayre K-1xe.

[tkam]

The 100-step volume control is probably one of these:

http://eshop.diyclub.biz/index.php?cPath=85_186

I know he's used them in the past and it's what was in my sft built dynamight

[Nanoha]

The 100-step volume control is probably one of these:

http://eshop.diyclub.biz/index.php?cPath=85_186

I know he's used them in the past and it's what was in my sft built dynamight

Decent prices. I might have some use for those sometime.

[tkam]

Yep they sound really good too, they have a 256-step version out now but its much more expensive.

[Nanoha]

Yep they sound really good too, they have a 256-step version out now but its much more expensive.

Cool, I'll definitely need to get one of these to play with.

[deepak]

I'm contemplating having one installed in the B22.

[Salt Peanuts]

I'm contemplating having one installed in the B22.

Deeew Eeet!

I wish I had known about it - at least mine will have "Black Beauty" in it.

[deepak]

Deeew Eeet!

I wish I had known about it - at least mine will have "Black Beauty" in it.

I need to think if I'll be using it as a preamp (and for how long), since I wouldn't need the remote volume control if it's just a headphone amp. It should be really good I just don't want it to bottleneck my system \

[Nanoha]

I wish I had known about it - at least mine will have "Black Beauty" in it.

Maybe I should opt for the ladder instead of the BB as well...

[jinp6301]

more higher end headphone amp/pre-amps need to have remotes. Thank god that SP started doing this

[Nanoha]

more higher end headphone amp/pre-amps need to have remotes. Thank god that SP started doing this

Well, preamps I can understand. I can also understand headphone amplifiers somewhat... but most people usually sit close to their amps with headphones (for example, the amp is on the desk). Of course, there are many people who have long headphone cables and sit far away.