DarTZeel Preamp

Mike,great stuff,as the Dart combo looks like a very "long term" stable,low maintenance winner!

How about the ZYX UNIV vs XV-1s comparison?Very much interested in your take!Thanks,and best regards.

With the glowing reviews of ASR from HP (though of course, just taking things at face value, I haven't hear it myslef), the following of NHB, and positive reviews of the Sutherland phono amp, it seems there is common denominator: battery supplied power for the pre-amp line stage etc. Or is it just reading too much into things?

I have been fortunate enough to have the NHB-18NS preamp in my system for the last few days. In combination with the NHB-108 amp, using the 50 Ohm interface between the two, it is easily be the best piece of audio electronics I have ever heard. It has far exceeded my expectations which were quite high to start. It is so holographic, smooth, and "alive" that it's hard to quantify how much better it is than previous equipment I have owned or heard. The battery system has operated flawlessly so far. Can it get any better? Maybe- it’s only a few days old and there might be some additional break-in.

I think Hervé Deletraz is the best audio electronics designer in the world right now. The build quality is fanatical, the design radical, and the sound quality must be heard to be believed. It's very humbling to think your system sounds great until you put in a component like the NHB-18NS and it redefines for you what you thought was possible.

If you already have the NHB-108, don't even hesitate in ordering the preamp- it is a must have. If you own neither, order both and you will have the best amp/preamp combo on the planet. As always- this is just one audiophool’s opinion, but I'm happy as hell! Over the top actually. Thanks JT.

Like Fsarc, I just got my NHB-18NS pre-amp over this past weekend. It is connected to my NHB-108 amplifier which I've had since January via the 50 ohm interface. I A/B'ed the 50 ohm connection versus my 30' XLR run and it was no contest...the 50 ohm interface trounces it in every way just as Herve lays out in his white paper.

NHB stands for Never Heard Before and this is no marketing hype. This combo pre-amp/amp produces music like no other equipment I've ever heard or owned. It's as close to "live" as I've ever heard. Noise and artifacts are completely absent leaving just the music. The design and build quality are first class and the support I've gotten from Herve Deletraz and JTinn is the best I've experienced in my 20+ years in high end audio.

Yes, this combo is expensive, but if you're looking for the best possible performance then you must audition this combo. BTW, I can't speak for the phono stage performance as I'm just listening at the moment to a Linn CD12 CD player, but Mike Lavigne certainly can and has in other posts.

Earflappin

The preamp continues to amaze me. I'm rediscovering recording after recording. It has been absolutely flawless in operation and I've run it over 17 hrs straight on the battery supply without interruption. The DarTZeel amp/preamp are by far the best pieces of audio equipment I have ever owned.