They have sounded somewhat thin to me, lacking weight and body. However, I have never been all that convinced by passive preamplifiers. If it can be demonstrated to sound better then it is better. I view myself as Switzerland on the topic. They hold the view that it is better to run directly from the source to a power amplifier or to use a passive gain stage. So what does the M1 Phono Preamp sound like? Should it have a sound? What about people who say that “the best preamp is no preamp?” I read forum posters that view preamplifiers as some sort of bottleneck or unnecessary part of a stereo system.
AUDIO NOTE OTO SE REVIEW UPGRADE
Ultimately, this is why I would prefer to go with an M1 preamp and have several options for power amps on hand versus going with the integrated amplifier that offers few to no upgrade paths. You can have the best of both worlds going with separates over an integrated amplifier. It’s also nice to have a 200+ watt power amplifier like the Wyred 4 Sound mAmp monoblocks to use when you want to get a little crazy. When you want to play and be truly beguiled by Eva Cassidy, then the Empress will give you that added bit of magic (or reveal the magic that is on the disc that other kinds of amplifiers may miss). Yes, a low-powered SET amp will drive an 87dB sensitive speaker rated at 4 ohms but the amplifier won’t want to play AC/DC or large-scale classical music. A lot of audiophiles on forums own speakers that are “borderline” in terms of efficiency and sensitivity. This is important because a good preamp gives the listener a choice of power amps.
AUDIO NOTE OTO SE REVIEW PRO
With the M1 warmed up and ears now used to the sound of its presentation, I was impressed by the preamp’s low noise floor and its ability to get along with not only the Empress Silver monoblocks but also my KingKo KA101 Pro EL84 integrated (used as a power amp) and, perhaps most surprisingly, my Wyred 4 Sound mAmp monoblocks. If you want that lusher, softer, valve-like presentation you may want the 300B or even Audio Note Paladin 45 output tube, which I like but is limited to just 2 watts per channel. I have fielded e-mails from audiophiles asking me about which power amp to get and I can’t answer that except to say that if you listen to a lot of rock and pop the Empress is more exciting to listen to than comparable Quest 300Bs in my experience. The Empress Silver 2a3 is more neutral than “pretty.” I like both approaches but as most of us are not millionaires we have to navigate carefully which single-ended tube sound we are after. The 2a3 is more of a rocker and in your face and some have described it as a little too solid-state-like for their tastes. Here in Hong Kong, dealers have described the 300B as a lady-like amplifier, beautiful and gentle and filled with lush ambiance. Audio Note UK has a dizzying array of power amplifiers and monoblocks and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. The 2a3 amps are more upfront and I found them to be more powerful sounding than 300B amplifiers like the Quest Silvers or various EL84 amplifiers. While the P1 SE and the OTO SE use EL84 output tubes for 10 watts per channel, the Empress Silver is a parallel single-ended 2a3 design outputting 8 watts per channel. This is a considerable step up from the P1 SE, the “separate’ equivalent power amp section of the OTO. I partnered the M1 to Audio Note’s Empress Silver parallel single-ended triode monoblocks. Audio Note UK Empress Silver Low Gain with 6J5 input tube.
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