Lightspeed Attenuator - Best Preamp Ever?

In my system the sound becomes a lot more colorful steeped in more accuracy of the natural tones and timing of real music.

Marqmike, glad you're happy with the LSA. I think you really hit on something with this comment. It pretty much describes how I feel about the LSA and IMO it's more evident now that I use it with a battery power supply. While the term "colorful" would not be one I would have thought of using and IMO traditionally goes against how I would describe the sound of a well designed passive, nonetheless I think it makes a lot of sense.

To put it another way, I think we sometimes get caught up in how our equipment performs on a linear level. I know I have been guilty of such. Focusing way too much on frequency response, imaging, sound staging, etc. Since I purchased my Audiokinesis Jazz Modules a couple years back they really started opening my ears up to things like natural timbre and timing. Things you could consider colorful versus linear IMO. In fact, the designer of my speakers had his priorities set so that reproduction of natural timbre was a high (if not the highest) priority in his design. He never set out to build a speaker that sound stages well. It wasn't nearly as high a priority. Now you might think that speakers designed in this manner add a fair amount of coloration to the sound. Well most who have heard them, including some well respected experts say they are the least colored horn designs (actually wave guide) out there. I think George may have achieved something similar in his design approach with the LSA. Something pure and true to the source, yet doesn't lose that ability to convey natural timbre and timing.

Pubul57 always stresses the importance of system matching with passive preamp designs. I made note in another thread I started as to how creating system synergy with a passive preamp could be one of the hardest things to achieve. Potentially too many variables to satisfy. However, if you can satisfy the variables, then the design of the passive becomes paramount to achieving what we experience from the sound.

I was just reading something where the following quote popped up:

"I am not so much interested in where the musicians are on the stage, as in why they are on the stage".

In my system the LSA enhances that train of thought for me.

That is a great quote Anthony, a great way to define good equipment - a lot simpler than audiophile jargon.

I think it came from a Stereophile article. Not sure who it came from though.

I have had the fortune of playing with this Lightspeed preamp/attenuator over the past 10 or so days thanks to Tony (Clio09). Thank you Tony for giving me this great opportunity. I have tried several passive units in the past and the LSA is the best by a wide margin to my ears. At least in my present system which consists of the following;

Soundlab A3 speakers (modified and improved back-plates)

Atma-sphere MA-1 Version 3.1 amps with all possible options added

TRL modified Sony SACD player (battery powered DAC)

Fusion Romance IC’s/Enchanter power cable ( 1 meter IC’s)

TRL power and speaker cables

TRL Dude preamp

BPT 3.5 Ultra with all options on the Dude, Sony and SL speakers

I compared the LSA to my current TRL Dude preamp. The Tube Research Labs Dude is a tube preamp that is priced at $3600. I have written much about it here on the Gon including a full review.

Let me bottom line my conclusions on the LSA and how it compares to the Dude. First, my comments are based on my room and associated gear and system matching is always an important determinate to consider. I do feel the LSA worked very well and “fit” in my system.

The LSA is very clean and detailed with excellent dynamics and fast and deep bass. I am quite impressed with the LSA’s dynamic punch and speed. The stage size is very wide and reflects a recording with intended large stage size. If you desire transparency, then the LSA has that in spades. For $450 it is a very good buy indeed. I can’t imagine a preamp as good for the price. I certainly have not heard one.

In the end I could not live without the Dude and now have the LSA packed up and ready to send back to Tony. The Dude simply has more to offer the listener and to the recorded music. The LSA could not match the ease and finesse of the Dude. The Dude caused the music to swell and bloom with every turn of the volume. In fact, I found myself turning the music up more with the Dude and tapping my toe. The LSA tended to sound less at ease on loud music or when the music became more complex. I missed the foundation and body of instruments that the Dude revealed.
The vocals through the Dude had more throat and weight/body.

The LSA was more forward sounding with instruments coming forth with almost spooky intimacy. Fun to listen to and very impressive. The utter transparency is quite impressive to experience. The longer I listened the more I felt the music was a tad too forward and forced onto me. I wondered if the utter transparency was also linked to a slight stripping away of the deeper tones and resonances of the various instruments and voices in effect leaving the remaining music naked and bare to the listener. (compared to the Dude) I don’t know. Some will say the Dude is adding this texture and body to the music. I am not sure I agree, but I also realize all of us have different likes and priorities in the sound we enjoy.

I just attended a symphony recently and found the instruments did in fact have more of this deeper tone and meaty foundation.

The reader must keep in mind that my Dude preamp is the best sounding preamp I have yet to encounter and has bested many an expensive preamp costing up to $10,000. It has bested some of these by a wide margin.
I really enjoyed my time with the LSA and if I did not own the Dude I am sure I would be purchasing one. The Dude has spoiled me perhaps or perhaps it is the perfect mate to my particular set of ears and preferences.

I forgot to add that my Soundlab speakers are very revealing and I would not consider them warm sounding. My Atma-sphere amps are also quite revealing and I would not consider them warm sounding. The LSA is also very revealing and with it in my system the net result may be to much of a good thing - transparency?

Just a thought....