We’ve declared this the “best tubed preamplifier we’ve heard,” and we’ve heard a few. Still, this is a minimalist preamp in the finest sense-short signal paths, the best parts quality and a slick attenuator that makes us giggle with joy.īorderPatrol Control Unit EXT-1 ($12,250 USD) The new Control 2 is a bit more fancy-the automatic input selector, powered by 12V triggers, is now replaced with a more traditional push-button selector, and the remote control controls more than volume trim. The original Control preamp was as streamlined as it gets-there was only one knob on the front of the thing, and it was the attenuator. The single-stage volume control is a dream, by the way. Features are abundant, and yet the XP-12 is still incredibly easy to set-up and use. Like the matching XP-17 phono preamp, the XP-12 is incredibly neutral and does an impossibly great job at allowing you to hear what everything else in your system is doing. It even has a headphone amplifier, and if you know LTA you know it’s gotta be special. The MicroZOTL offers push-pull Class A operation and can be considered as a truly full-featured preamplifier. We get a tad giddy whenever we use LTA amps-these David Berning designs, based on his ZOTL topology, offer such a pure and beautiful window into the music. Linear Tube Audio MicroZOTL Preamplifier ($4,450 USD) Passives aren’t for everyone, but if you’re one of those people who are going “DAC direct” you might want to spend a few hundred bucks to get clean, clear sound-and all without a power cord. We described this small passive unit as a “volume control in a box,” and were amazed when it kicked the butt of a few very expensive preamplifiers. Luminous Audio Axiom II w/ Walker Mod ($499 USD)
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