Hornshoppe "the Truth" preamp - any opinions?

The CSL with the Franks can be very good when paired with a very high efficiency speaker.  I really enjoyed them paired with my 94dB efficient Coincident Triumph Extreme II monitors, especially with the Elrog 300B tubes which unfortunately don't hold up to the demands of the Franks.   But honestly, I enjoy the CSL paired with my Atma-Sphere M-60's just as much, maybe more, and 60WPC with low distortion just works better with anything but the most efficient speakers.   The Franks just couldn't drive my 92.5 dB efficient Coincident Super Victory II's.  Too much distortion, and I don't typically listen at high levels. 

Hi Bill,
Thank you for taking the time to post your clear and detailed listening impressions of what are excellent line stages via your home audio system. The stock Truth line stage has received universal praise so I can only imagine how wonderful your upgraded/modified Truth must sound. Bill I bet your system sounds fantastic!

In my very humble opinion I summit that both of these line stages are genuinely world class components that really can compete with any top tier line stages regardless of price. You could place either of these two into audio systems of high pedigree and they would hold there own. When a product is capable of achieving superb purity, tone and dynamics it’s very unlikely for it to embarrassed by any competing component. Certainly one may prefer another line stage but the Truth or the Coincident will not be outclassed.

I was one of the very early (October 2009) buyers of the Coincident Statement Line Stage . Over 10 years later I’m probably even more happy and impressed with its sound quality mated to my 10 year old (September 2009) Frankenstein MK II mono blocks. The latest version of these 2 components are most likely even better. That’s fine but i’m staying put 😊.

To the other Bill (brownsfan) Yep, you must have the proper speaker match, no getting around that fact. The older Coincident Eclipse lne of speakers were an easier load than your current Victory speakers. I’m very familiar Atma-sphere MA1 mono blocks and no doubt the CSL would pair with Atma-sphere amplifiers  in splendid fashion.

Yes, great review @grannyring   

There seems to be quite a few preamps these days with a loyal following. Don Sachs, Supratek, Aric Audio, and The Truth to name a few. I recently got to hear the Don Sachs and it is a superb preamp that was better than my current pre. My friend who owns the DS used to have a TRL Dude which he says is still the best preamp he has ever owned and regrets selling it. He also had an original or first iteration of The Truth. 

Grannyring, I know you used to have the smaller version of the Dude if I recall. The Truth has a great price and I like that it can be upgraded and Ed is always looking to improve things. I think he’s on version 4 I believe? 

Any chance somebody has heard all of these preamps or come close? Or how about at least hearing the early version of The Truth and a current version and how they differ?

Hello everyone, I’ve been away from the Agon scene for a while and it’s nice to come back and find such a cordial and informative thread. 
You can add me to the list of The Truth users......and lovers. It’s hard to believe that such an ugly duckling of a product can help produce such beautiful music. I’m tempted to have a nice wood enclosure built to put over it, with an opening for the remote sensor.......but then I come to my senses and realize it’s fine just the way it is. 
Bill, thanks for sharing your modification information and observations of their improvements. Not sure I trust my diy skills enough to try doing so myself but it sure is enticing. Did you try messing around with the LED light inside the unit to widen the VC range? Worked wonders for me. 

Seems like many here have gone the high efficiency speaker/lower powered amp route and when doing so stellar preamps like The Truth and CSL go a long way in preserving the purity, tone and dynamics with their black background and transparency. In other words, getting out of the way and allowing the music to flow forth. 
IMO one can’t go wrong with either The Truth or CSL. I do like the convenience of a remote VC, not sure if the CSL has that option but it sure is the better looking piece of gear. 
Happy New Years......Tom

Nice review Grannyring.

Tom, I'm glad and somewhat relieved the Truth worked out for you, as you had PM'd me before your purchase and asked for my input. Whew!

I also compared the Truth (in stock form) with the CSL.  They are both top notch. My amps are Coincident Frankensteins and my speakers are 99db efficient. To me, the Truth sounded a bit more alive and real. I noticed this particularly with jazz music, so I kept it and sold my CSL. I have really fallen in love with jazz ever since I got the Truth.

I was not fond of the dual volume controls of the CSL. I appreciate the finer gradation of volume that the Truth offers. The Truth’s remote volume control is a good bonus. Lastly, the fact that the Truth is smaller, and that it is only one box versus the two boxes of the CSL, helped clear space in my rack.

I recently installed WBT input and output jacks and it was a worthy upgrade. If anything, the WBT jacks do a much better job of securely holding my cables. I was having an issue with some of my cables not maintaining a tight connection with the Truth, which led to occasional image fuzziness and images shifting right or left. All too often, I was finding myself wiggling my cables to try to get a better connection, which only temporarily solved the problem. The WBT’s have been a permanent solution and are highly recommended. I will be upgrading the IEC inlet soon.

I never had a ground loop issue with the CSL. It was a solid and reliable performer.