Hovland HP-100 vs. CAT SL1 Ultimate: Feedback

Musicluvr: Yes, the Cary SLAM-100's have a high sensitivity: .75v. And yes, the CAT was very in my face. I wrote to CAT some time ago about my experience and asked about possible ways to match the CAT and the SLAM-100 to each other better: no response.

I heard a Hovland HP-100 linestage in a different system a week ago, and the sound was soft and laid-back. Details and leading edges were a bit blunted. Since I did not hear the HP-100 in my system, it would be hard for me to place how the HP-100 figured into the overall sound I heard.

Verygigamp: triple huh?

If you mean I have to spend way more money to get decent pre-amplification, your point is well taken. But the spend-more method does not always hold true; it has to be proven on a case-by-case basis. I have heard cases in which cheaper gear actually sounded better than more expensive stuff in side-by-side comparisons.

Kalan,

My comment had nothing to do with advise to spend “money to get decent pre-amplification”. You asked about $6-7K unit and this was why I referred to them. Unfortunately the preamps I mention are not the preamps but just a bunch of the electronic parts in the metal boxes. They just do not do what preamps should do and therefore they are useless.

Figur out what a serous active preamp should do and benefits your system can get form it. If you do then you won’t drink this typical Audiogon's coca-cola.

Good luck,
Romy the Cat

FYI, Romy had a serious confrontation with Ken Stevens of CAT at the 2002 CES so objectivity here for Romy is not certain. Ken basically threw Romy out of his room after Romy had been a very bad kitty.

i'm not trying to start anything here but history does mean something.

my opinion is that neither of these preamps are the last word in neutrality.....i am a big passive preamp fan myself. i do have friends with both units that really enjoy them. the CAT SL1 Ultimate is more neutral to my ears than the Hovland.....in other words you can 'hear' the sonic signature of the Hovland more in the system.....a good thing?....a matter of taste. many people love what these preamps do in their systems.

Verybigamp/Romy: If the kinds of pre-amps we've been discussing are easily dismissed as so much "...mass-market black boxes 'for kids'." or "...typical Audiogon's coca-cola.", what is your solution to pre-amplification?

You make provocative statements but do not offer the obvious: the counter recommendation. What is your stake in any of this? Are you a manufacturer of competing products or something?

Yes Verybigamp, please enlighten us! There are many brands which you named which I don't like, but I know what I do like. If there are any products which you think are not mass market black boxes. please let us know and why you think they are not coca cola. To get Ken Stevens really mad is not very difficult. If you are nice and tell us what you are talking about, I will post a link to an incident where a customer really made Ken furious by pushing the man's buttons. Maybe it was you! It seems you like to push buttons.