Audio Experience tube preamp


First of all let me state that I'm not an expert on tube equipment. In fact I've never had any before. I was one of the ones that was happy as can be that transistors had come to the front. I grew up with tubes and learned to hate them. TV sets were always screwing up and in constant need of repair. To make a long story short, I ran into an ad by YS Audio in Hong Kong for a deal on a line level preamp that was listed as a promotion for $300 instead of the regular $700. I know that to some of you that this is too low to even consider, but it seemed like a good way to find out what this tube stuff is all about.
I got the unit today and hooked it up to my Creek {5350}integrated amp, by yanking out the "u" bars on the back. I was in no way prepard for what I heard. I know that the superlatives get thrown around a lot on this site, but it was and is outstanding. It seemed like the music just opened up. Especially the dynamic range on all types of music. I have no idea if the numbers support this or not. I frankly could not care less what the numbers and stats say, because I hear a huge difference. It's kind of ironic because that's what people say about all kinds of things like DAC's and cables, and I have been completely underwhemed by these. Straining for hours to see if a certain cable improved "presence" or "soundstage" or "definition" This was a real improvement, and the thing's not even broken in yet. The manual says 100 hours to "bed in" {the writing is a hoot} Anyone else ever dealt with this outfit?
elmuncy

Showing 1 response by unit1865

I too have an Audio Experience Symphonies pre that I bought right here on Audiogon for $250 or so used. I am using it in my bedroom system with Bottlehead Paramour amps and Hornshoppe horns.

I bought it because I had bungled my attempt to build a Bottlehead Foreplay. I'm very very happy with the sound- so much so that I have put my foreplay repair on a back burner for the foreseeable future. The system (with a fairly cheap Sony sacd source) sounds beautiful and natural. I listen mostly to jazz and other "soft" music with this system.

I will say that after hearing it in my bedroom system, I hooked it up to my main system in place of the Adcom GFP 750 that I use there (along with a Heart CD6000 with seimens NOS tubes, a mcintosh 2205, and paradigm ref 40 and ps-1000 speakers/sub) and did not feel that it was an improvement to this system which is mostly used to rock (eg Tool, Pearl Jam and the like).

My systems are lower-end than those belonging to most posters here, so take my remarks with a grain of salt, but IMO you can't go wrong with this item, especially for the used price.