My favorite Preamp is Concert Fidelity CF-080LSX by Masataka Tsuda
Lightspeed Attenuator - Best Preamp Ever?
The question is a bit rhetorical. No preamp is the best ever, and much depends on system context. I am starting this thread beacuase there is a lot of info on this preamp in a Music First Audio Passive...thread, an Slagle AVC Modules...thread and wanted to be sure that information on this amazing product did not get lost in those threads.
I suspect that many folks may give this preamp a try at $450, direct from Australia, so I thought it would be good for current owners and future owners to have a place to describe their experience with this preamp.
It is a passive preamp that uses light LEDs, rather than mechanical contacts, to alter resistance and thereby attenuation of the source signal. It has been extremely hot in the DIY community, since the maker of this preamp provided gernerously provided information on how to make one. The trick is that while there are few parts, getting it done right, the matching of the parts is time consuming and tricky, and to boot, most of use would solder our fingers together if we tried. At $450, don't bother. It is cased in a small chassis that is fully shielded alloy, it gets it's RF sink earth via the interconnects. Vibration doesn't come into it as there is nothing to get vibrated as it's passive, even the active led's are immune as they are gas element, no filaments. The feet I attach are soft silicon/sorbethane compound anyway just in case.
This is not audio jewelry with bling, but solidly made and there is little room (if any) for audionervosa or tweaking.
So is this the best preamp ever? It might be if you have a single source (though you could use a switch box), your source is 2v or higher, your IC from pre-amp to amp is less than 2m to keep capaitance low, your amp is 5kohm input or higher (most any tube amp), and your amp is relatively sensitive (1v input sensitivity or lower v would be just right). In other words, within a passive friendly system (you do have to give this some thought), this is the finest passive preamp I have ever heard, and I have has many ranging form resistor-based to TVCs and AVCs.
In my system, with my equipment, I think it is the best I have heard passive or active, but I lean towards prefering preamp neutrality and transparency, without loosing musicality, dynamics, or the handling of low bass and highs.
If you own one, what are your impressions versus anything you have heard?
Is it the best ever? I suspect for some it may be, and to say that for a $450 product makes it stupidgood.
I suspect that many folks may give this preamp a try at $450, direct from Australia, so I thought it would be good for current owners and future owners to have a place to describe their experience with this preamp.
It is a passive preamp that uses light LEDs, rather than mechanical contacts, to alter resistance and thereby attenuation of the source signal. It has been extremely hot in the DIY community, since the maker of this preamp provided gernerously provided information on how to make one. The trick is that while there are few parts, getting it done right, the matching of the parts is time consuming and tricky, and to boot, most of use would solder our fingers together if we tried. At $450, don't bother. It is cased in a small chassis that is fully shielded alloy, it gets it's RF sink earth via the interconnects. Vibration doesn't come into it as there is nothing to get vibrated as it's passive, even the active led's are immune as they are gas element, no filaments. The feet I attach are soft silicon/sorbethane compound anyway just in case.
This is not audio jewelry with bling, but solidly made and there is little room (if any) for audionervosa or tweaking.
So is this the best preamp ever? It might be if you have a single source (though you could use a switch box), your source is 2v or higher, your IC from pre-amp to amp is less than 2m to keep capaitance low, your amp is 5kohm input or higher (most any tube amp), and your amp is relatively sensitive (1v input sensitivity or lower v would be just right). In other words, within a passive friendly system (you do have to give this some thought), this is the finest passive preamp I have ever heard, and I have has many ranging form resistor-based to TVCs and AVCs.
In my system, with my equipment, I think it is the best I have heard passive or active, but I lean towards prefering preamp neutrality and transparency, without loosing musicality, dynamics, or the handling of low bass and highs.
If you own one, what are your impressions versus anything you have heard?
Is it the best ever? I suspect for some it may be, and to say that for a $450 product makes it stupidgood.
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- 1866 posts total
Thank you Sean for the very favorable mention of the Lightspeed Attenuator. I just had a good look at these highly regarded Linkwitz Labs speakers of yours, very elaborate for a diy'er to do, one needs to be on the ball to make these. (and have some time on their hands). https://www.linkwitzlab.com/LX521/LX521_4.htm Cheers George |
ledoux1238 Yes it does, it’s a $35 option, and is good for recording, room or system imbalances, also great for vinyl, as I never seen cartridges that have perfect channel balance. It’s all in the sales/pricing info I send in emails to customers, if you want it send me an email to georgehifi at optusnet dot com dot au Or if you have the skills, you can make your own at diyaudio forums, where I explain how to do it. https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/analog-line-level/80194-lightspeed-attenuator-passive-preamp.html Cheers George |
Got one of George's Dual Vol units a few weeks ago. Been doing some casual and a little critical listening (don't do much of that anymore, can't enjoy the music) over the last week.......what can I say....there is sooo much detail coming from my system with this unit, it is certainly highlighting ordinary recordings that I thought previously were ok. On good recordings bass seems tighter and more detailed and in particular vocals and drum kit are crystal. As George mentions above, this is about as "straight wire" as you can get. Currently running with a JOB225 power amp; Audioengine streamer and pair of Elac B6 speakers. Seems a good match for the JOB. Am going to switch out my MF tube X-Pre and run the X-A50 momoblocks with the Lightspeed and see how it goes. Thanks George. Cheers, John |
- 1866 posts total