Herron HL-1 Preamplifier, Solid State; Herron still in business? Thoughts about sound?
I'm looking into having a solid state preamp along with my other tube gear. I'm considering a Herron HL-1 preamp on the used market. Comments about Mr. Herron's gear and his reputation as a talented and kind man are all over the internet.
It seems he has retired or is in semi-retirement. His website has been de-commissioned, it seems.
So, two questions:
(a) I don't expect a unit to break quickly, so I'm more interested in how easy to fix his solid state preamp might be by a third party? If you have any thoughts about that kind of scenario, please let me know.
(b) More important, if you have had experience with the HL-1 Herron preamp, how would you characterize its sound compared to other things you've heard? Any other thoughts?
With all the hoopla around about gear, I find myself drawn back, again and again, to smaller makers who take pride in their work and genuinely care about listening to the things they make. This is why I'm drawn to makers like deHavilland, Herron, Quicksilver, Aric Audio, Atmasphere, and many others.
@soix I'm looking for a SS that is fairly neutral and, as it adds a bit of gain, it would be nice if the gain was slightly warm. Just a bit. I'm presently using a DIY made by a friend that is comprised, basically, of the original Burson buffer with a really nice relay based attenuator, ultra low noise resistors. Any SS I got might be a bit warmer than this, but this one is dead quiet. |
So I’m gonna go off the reservation a bit here and recommend giving the Linear Tube Audio MZ2 (w/ optional LPS) a look as it’s very neutral and gives you that effortless 3D soundstage that tubes do so well and you usually need to pay dearly for to get from solid state preamps. Plus, it’s a David Berning design where the tubes last forever and are cheap to replace so very low maintenance. If you must go solid state I can highly recommend either the Bryston BP6 or BP26 (they’re pretty much the same except the BP26 offers balanced connections and a separate power supply). I owned the BP6 for years and found it to be the most transparent and neutral component I’ve heard, and it throws off a big and deep soundstage with excellent imaging and separation. And while it’s not cold or sterile sounding, it won’t add any warmth on its own. Here’s a BP26 just fyi… Hope this is somewhat useful, and best of luck. |
I too was surprised to see that listing - wasn’t aware Herron made a SS preamp. It seems it was a while ago, ~ 20 years. Price seems great, under 1K. However, looking at the inside - that’s a lot of ICs. Not that ICs can’t sound great, but it simply doesn’t get me excited for a separate box 2ch preamp. Why not get a NAD preamp / DAC with modern features and even streaming, at that point? Keith is retired (semi-retired?) but seems to still be readily available via email for communication, service, and even upgrades on existing Herron components. Not that this can be counted on long-term, but then can you really count on ANY small audio manufacturer’s long-term service? Anyways, I think congratulations are in order for Mr. Keith Herron. He created & ran a successful audio company with a very well respected line of components. His phono stage was particularly lauded and unique. The company survived and was productive right up until he was ready to personally ride off into the sunset. NO upset customers. NO funny business or drama. NO snake oil! This is rare to see. A truly golden example for others. I wish he would’ve had a succession plan to keep the business going, but that was for him alone to decide. |
I wrote to him and he wrote right back. He is retired and still stands behind his products. Nice guy. @mulveling You make a good point. One might even go for something super simple, like an old Apt Holman. @soix thanks for your commentary, suggestions, and links. I yearn for LTA, but a SS preamp would be a kind of temporary utility infielder. I don’t need to over-spend because I really really love tubes. Just want a good pinch player. Nice conversation with him, here:
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