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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.
pubul57
rob_j
2 posts
 

So I thought I'd post a bit of feedback now that the LSA has had a couple of weeks of play to settle up.

My regular attenuator is a Townshend Allegri passive which retails for very many times what the LSA costs. Retail price is not a reliable indicator of performance as we know: just setting the scene.

I have to say that the LSA is simply astonishing. It is fluid, extended at the frequency extremes and has a lightning fast attack at the leading edge of notes, then a detailed and realistic decay. Instruments exist in their own space and are distinct from others. There's a quiet confidence to the sound, with a dark background seemingly devoid of interference/noise. No grain, silken and natural.

That's the thing: this really plays music rather than sounding like "good hifi". Music sounds real and involving.

The LSA seems equally happy with Hans Zimmers massive layering and soundstage as it is with Marcus Millers dynamic bass guitar, Army of Mushrooms's bonkers electronica or Jan Garbareks soprano sax. It all works.

In short: Well done George! Overall, the LSA bests the Townshend in my system.

Robert
scm
314 posts
 
Drubin
'...Has anyone here tried the passives from Tortuga Audio?...'

I had an LSA and now have a Tortuga Audio. The only reason I switched was that I found a used Tortuga that had two outputs and of course the remote with volume and balance control is very handy.
Sound wise, I`d be hard pressed to choose one over the other.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
05-05-15: Rob_j

So I thought I'd post a bit of feedback now that the LSA has had a couple of weeks of play to settle up.

My regular attenuator is a Townshend Allegri passive which retails for very many times what the LSA costs. Retail price is not a reliable indicator of performance as we know: just setting the scene.

I have to say that the LSA is simply astonishing. It is fluid, extended at the frequency extremes and has a lightning fast attack at the leading edge of notes, then a detailed and realistic decay. Instruments exist in their own space and are distinct from others. There's a quiet confidence to the sound, with a dark background seemingly devoid of interference/noise. No grain, silken and natural.

That's the thing: this really plays music rather than sounding like "good hifi". Music sounds real and involving.

The LSA seems equally happy with Hans Zimmers massive layering and soundstage as it is with Marcus Millers dynamic bass guitar, Army of Mushrooms's bonkers electronica or Jan Garbareks soprano sax. It all works.

In short: Well done George! Overall, the LSA bests the Townshend in my system.

Robert

First off Robert, I would like to thank you for your praise and great review of the Lightspeed Attenuator.

You are right in that it has extended range as it is dc coupled to almost infinity in speed, hence the name Lightspeed.

As for the dark background you mention, it has a far lower noise than any active preamp can be. This is why you get a perfect black background, which aids in greater dynamic range and space around the notes. There will be times you'll think your system is not switch on when your in-between tracks, or when the lead in of tracks have no music content yet.

As for your "No grain, silken and natural" comment, there are no "active preamp" component distortions/colourations, what goes in comes out uncoloured and true to the source.

Thanks again for your praise Cheers George
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,075 posts
 
What is the price? I looked at the website and it says to call for price.
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 


Roxy54: PM sent

Cheers George
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