Solid State Preamp Reviews

Sidebar 2: Review System

Initial listening was done with the system staying the same as in my review of the Mark Levinson No.28 (Vol.15 No.6): Lingo'd Linn/Ittok/AudioQuest AQ 7000 analog, Proceed PCT 2/Aragon D2A Mk.II digital front end, "stripped" original Quads driven by a Luxman MQ-68c, and Cizek MG-27 subs driven by a Bryston 3B via a Dahlquist LP-1 crossover. Interconnects were AudioQuest Lapis; speaker cables AudioQuest Sterling (Quads) and Midnight (subs). A Stax Lambda Signature headset, driven by the SRM-T1 headphone amp, served as an additional reference. All electronics were plugged into a Tice Power Block. My listening room is supplied with two dedicated AC lines and treated with Room-, Corner-, and EchoTunes. The Rowland Consonance (with updated phono and line-level modules) and the Conrad-Johnson PV11 served as preamp references.

When the new sample arrived, my system had undergone a few changes: the PS Audio UltraLink replaced the Aragon D2A Mk.II, with TARA Labs Digital Master coax between transport and processor, and the Quads' homemade 14-gauge AC cables were replaced by TARA Labs' Affinity AC cables. Oh, yes, the Quads' AC cables were now plugged into a PAC IDOS power strip (a major improvement), and the digital front end was separated from the rest of the system by the IDOS.—Robert Deutsch