Audio Research LS17 Preamp Reviewed

Given that Audio Research managed to provide a frisson of REF sound in their entry-level PH5 phono stage, is it too much to hope that the same benediction might apply to a new entry-level LS-series preamplifier? Imagine: an affordable preamp......Read More

Audio Research LS26 Preamplifier Reviewed

The Audio Research LS26 occupies the middle position in the trio of linestage offerings from the Minnesota-based company. It is described by many, including Audio Research, as a slightly scaled-down version of their critically acclaimed Reference 3, which is their......Read More

Audio Research Reference 3 Preamplifier Reviewed

When one thinks of vacuum tube audio equipment, the name Audio Research is surely one of the first names which come to mind.  They have been designing and building high-end audio gear since 1970, have earned a reputation of building......Read More

Benchmark DAC 1 PRE Reviewed (USB DAC)

The modern trend of downloading music and MP3 players is clear.  While I won't get into the sonic arguments, I think the technology has pushed the world towards computer-based audio.  Thanks to the ever-dropping price and increasing size of memory......Read More

Cary Audio SLP-05 Preamplifier Reviewed

I'm not going to mince words; the Cary Audio SLP-05 is one of the finest preamplifiers I have ever heard. And I've heard many. It's rare when a single component can impart such a profound impact on the performance of......Read More

Cary Audio SLP-98L Preamplifier Reviewed

Cary Audio is one of those rare companies that don't constantly revise audio products as a ploy to resell their current client base and/or get a PR boost from a slightly improved model.  When they have a product which works......Read More

Conrad Johnson CT5 Stereo Preamplifier Reviewed

Conrad Johnson is one of most well-known and respected names in the world of tube audio gear. The CT5 stereo preamplifier reviewed here is the result of trickle-down technology from the company's famous ACT preamplifier, which itself descends from the......Read More

Conrad-Johnson Classic Preamplifier Reviewed

When a company whose history is filled with award-winning products creates a product named Classic, you know it must be something special. The $1,750 Classic from Conrad-Johnson is their entry-level tube line-stage; it is also available with a phono stage......Read More

Conrad-Johnson ET2 Preamplifier Reviewed

The Conrad-Johnson ET2 preamplifier occupies the middle tier of the current C-J line, between the entry-level Classic and the high-end CT5. I am purposely excluding the stratospheric GAT, because it is limited to 250 units that will go to some......Read More

Decware CSP2 Zen Triode Preamplifier Reviewed

There are those brands in high end audio that are seemingly fused with our collective psyches and then there are those a bit on the fringe, out there in the wild, wild west of audiophilia where, like Fight Club, the......Read More

EAR EAR864 Preamp Reviewed

New pre-amps from Tim de Paravicini never fail to cause a tube-lovin' pulse to race a bit faster. Tim is, after all, one of the planet's valve heroes, and his products never bore nor disappoint. Of late, he's added a......Read More

Krell Evolution 202 Stereo Preamplifier Reviewed

Amazingly, at $15,000, the Krell Evolution 202 two-chassis stereo preamp is in the middle of Krell's lust-worthy line of no-holds-barred audiophile electronics. Dressed in sultry silver, this ultimate-level audio preamp speaks of total overkill - the kind of overkill that......Read More

Krell Evolution 222 Preamplifier Reviewed

Krell truly welcomed the twenty-first century with a radical range dubbed Evolution. The pre/power Evolution One and Two combination that heralded the line's arrival stunned everyone who saw them at CES in January 2005. New styling, zero-compromise build, spec and......Read More

Mark Levinson No. 326S Preamp Reviewed

Historically there have been two channel products and then there has been Mark Levinson. No. other brand has seemingly come to represent the pinnacle of high end in the eyes of audiophiles like Mark Levinson, and their No. 326S preamp......Read More

McIntosh Laboratories C-220 Stereo Preamplifier Reviewed

The new C-220 is one of McIntosh Laboratories newest stereo preamplifiers and at $4,000, one of their least expensive. McIntosh has long been known as a manufacturer of ultra-premium audio equipment that is priced accordingly. Unfortunately, this has priced new......Read More

Parasound Halo P3 Stereo Preamplifier Reviewed

In the pantheon of audiophile electronics, Parasound stands among those at the top with its storied history, vast product range and legendary performance. The Halo P3 stereo preamplifier is no exception, providing solid performance and features, coupled with tremendous value......Read More

Parasound P7 7.1 Channel Analog Preamplifier Reviewed

With everything going multi-channel and home theater these days, how's an audiophile company like Parasound to keep up? While Parasound makes some fantastic pre-amp processors, they've introduced a unique audiophile solution to the multi-channel problem: the P7 7.1 channel analog......Read More

Quad Super System Reviewed

Quad has done an incredible job in progressing from the original ESL57 via the ESL63 and its 988/989 descendants to the current ESL-2905, with but one exception: it's larger than Peter Walker himself felt necessary. Unconvinced by the desire......Read More

Stereo Preamplifier Reviews & "Wiki" Information

A stereo preamp is an audio component that receives and switches audio sources, usually in the analog domain, as the listener sees fit. An audio preamp also boosts the line level signal from a source component like an iPod or CD player to a level that a power amplifier can use to power speakers....Read More

Sutherland Director and Ph.D preamp and phono stage

SUTHERLAND DIRECTOR and PHD Once in a while, you have to reconsider your objections to mail-order for costly purchases that plug into the wall. Acoustic Sounds is a well-established source of software, accessories and whole components, so we have......Read More