Audio Mirror Preamplifier

I am a past owner of an Audio Mirror Tubadour III SE DAC and Reflection 45 SET amplifiers, so I have intimate familiarity with the house sound of Vlad’s components, which is extended, holographic and pleasantly on the warmer side of neutral without giving up important detail and subtleties in recordings.

In a time when many manufacturers seem to be on an endless quest for ever more neutrality and detail (often to the detriment of musical enjoyment), Audio Mirror unapologetically endeavors to recreate music in your room that you can (and will) enjoy for hours and hours without fatigue.

And, this at stunningly reasonable prices. Vlad’s $5000 Reflection 45 SET amplifiers might be the absolute best bargain in tube amplification offered today.

I suspect the Linea follows the Audio Mirror sonic roadmap, and if that’s in line with one’s preferences then I heartily recommend installing one at home for an audition. Vlad offers an audition period of generally 14 days. Plenty of time to decide if it fits into one’s system and goals.

An earlier comment stated “all single-ended/unbalanced”. While it’s true the Linea is not differentially balanced, the Linea has transformer coupled balanced outputs. If they’re the same as the Lundahl transformers in his Tubadour IV, then they’re among the most transparent transformers sold.

@tvad 

In a time when many manufacturers seem to be on an endless quest for ever more neutrality and detail (often to the detriment of musical enjoyment)

Spot on observation.

Charles

@tvad Thank you for correcting me on the transformer-coupled balanced outputs. I forgot about that. To add more, there are both the single ended outputs and this pair of transformer-coupled outputs, but a switch is installed to toggle one or the either. Vlad mentioned he cannot bypass this switch and enable both outputs without sacrificing sound quality. 

Your right in the sonic signature of his preamp, and it was a nice change from the preamp he offered many many years ago, which had less bloom and was much more etched and sterile in comparison.

Interesting to read about this. I wonder if he could make it with an extra set of pre-amp outs. I love having those for my subs. Otherwise, you’d have to use Y-splitters, right?

Consider, as a comparison, this similarly priced preamp from Aric Audio --
See the extra outputs? Handy.

Some years back I bought a used AM preamp on Audiogon. It arrived with a damaged remote control volume pot. I sent it to Vlad and he not only fixed it for free he also paid return shipping. Excellent products and superb customer service, I’ve never forgotten how well Vlad treated me.