I owned the four chassis Presence Deluxe Paramount from Emmanuel, a special custom unit. The only reason I don't still own it relates to space constraints as it required multiple racks and floor space--not sonics, which were about as good as I have ever had in my subjective memory. The guy that bought it from me called and told me I was crazy for selling after he heard what it could do. He's probably right.
The First Sound preamps are minimalist in design and construction given Emmanuel's passive design history and have stood the test of time. He really is an artist and a master of using the finest materials to achieve results I've heard from very few of the electronics I've owned over the years. I enjoy my ARC Ref 5 a great deal but could easily live happily with any of Emmanuel's pre designs.
Grant
Shunyata Research
