Joule Electra LA-150 MK3 vs MK2?

Hello iSanchez,

I started to write review and I am forced to use words and re-used words (re-gifting) and its very difficult when your primary response is totally emotional (i.e. music grabs you and you cannot stop listening - most of us know this feeling).

You are correct we started to talk about bass (which is foundation for all music) and in the last post you mentioned orchestra - and this is much more then bass alone. The LA300ME recreation of an orchestra 's sheer size and scale was unmatched by any other component in my experience (may be except Elrod Signature Speaker Cable..). The soundstage has a "see-thru" clarity that made even quit instruments at the back vividly palpable. The instrument placement is done with stunning precision (razor-sharp) and air between them was "seen" or "felt" . In big orchestral climax, the LA300ME was totally effortless and yet composed. Despite this staggering dynamics the presentation has no hyped details or transients. This is more or less accurate description of orchestral presentation of this preamp. It has unprecedented resolution of fine detail yet - you do not hear these details - you hear or you feel the flow of music, you are surrounded by music be it orchestral or solo cello and you can't stop listening - you discover and rediscover your familiar discs again. Oh, boy!...and yes, the magnificent bass, powerful and crystal clear - its not something you would expect from tube preamp

All The Best
Rafael

Hello Rafael,

You assessments are stop on. It doesn't cease to amaze me how a single component takes a whole system and ... puff! ... the whole system disappears and only the music is left.

Best,

iSanchez

I meant to say spot on!

Best,

iSanchez

Dob... sorry for not getting back here sooner. I have been very busy trying to catch up with customer business since returning from the show, not to mention fighting a bad cold (more like bronchitis my Doc says).

To keep things short and sweet... my impressions of the LA-300ME remain the same. Superb sound-staging, dynamics, clarity, and musicality (i.e Resolution without brightness or texture). It gets the tone aspects of performance so right and then proceeds to offer the rest of these (audiophile) performance characteristics in a way that I think it is going to re-define what really good preamp can do.

I recently upgraded from the LA-150 MkII to the LA-150ME. The LA-150ME was only briefly available, and has since been replaced by the LA-300. Regardless, the LA-150ME is a clear improvement over the LA-150 MkII, which was already one of the most natural sounding preamps I've ever heard. The sound of the LA-150ME just sounds truer to the ideal of real music. Textural details of acoustic instruments are more detailed and realistic. I'm planning to upgrade my unit to the LA-300, as soon as Jud has the time.