Solid State Preamp Reviews

Sidebar 1: System

The Exposure XVII was installed in my reference system, replacing the Audio Research LS5 and driving either a Krell KSA-300S power amp or VTL 225W tubed monoblocks. Loudspeakers were Thiel CS3.6es connected by 8' runs of AudioQuest Sterling. The long interconnects between the preamp and power amps were a 20' pair of AudioQuest Lapis. Other interconnects included Monster Sigma, AudioQuest Diamond, and AudioQuest Lapis.

Source components included the Counterpoint DA-10 and Mark Levinson No.30 or No.35 digital processors, driven by PS Audio Lambda and Mark Levinson No.31 transports via coaxial and ST-type optical connection. I also used the Meridian 563 and Sonic Frontiers SFD-2 converters driven by the Meridian 500 or Theta Data Basic transports.

The phono front end was a heavily modified Well-Tempered Turntable (footnote 1) fitted with an AudioQuest AQ7000NSX cartridge. The 7000's 0.3mV output was ideal for the XVII's MC phono board. The turntable sits on a spiked, sand-and-lead-shot–filled Merrill Stable Table. The built-from-scratch listening room has optimum dimensional ratios for room-mode distribution, and is treated with ASC Tower Traps (reviewed in December 1993, Vol.16 No.12).—Robert Harley

---

Footnote 1: Since my last report on the WTT, I've replaced the arm with an entirely new arm made virtually from scratch by Lary Pederson of The LP Lab (see my report on Lary's WTA mods in Vol.16 No.1). I'll soon have a full review of the new arm, but until then, I can report that this arm transforms the WTT.