Joule Electra LA-150 MK3 vs MK2?

Hello Rafael,

Thanks for the insight.

Hello Lightminer,

I don't have a Supratek, but I've had the Joule Electra Marianne Memorial Edition preamp for a few months now. This is a fantastic preamp by any measure and I have already written about it in these forums and in the reviews section here in Audiogon.

Your question made me curious about what my system would sound like without the preamp. I connected the Benchmark DAC1 straight to the mono-blocks and listened. Unfortunately, I had to get up and leave within 20 seconds. That's how much I could stand listening to my system without this preamp. It was as if the life was sucked out of the music. The sound became very dry. Soundstage organization was all over the map. Voices sounded congested, as if singing with a sore throat. Bass impact and definition was gone. I could not feel the bass in the next room as is the case with the Joule Electra preamp.

I then plugged the Joule Electra preamp again and life came back to the music. What I learned with this ephemeral experiment was that it is very easy to live with the Joule Electra's presentation of the music, and that it is very difficult to listen to anything else but live music.

I can see that you also have the Maggies 3.6. At least in my system, this preamp brought a lot of depth, slam, texture and definition to the bass. What is interesting is that this is something that is more associated with amps, not preamps. I have a Velodyne HGS 15 subwoofer that I just use as a side table. I connected this sub a few days after I got this preamp and, at least with Jazz and Classical, there was just a bit more bass, but this came at the expense of pitch definition. So the sub went back to be what it's being doing for a while: being a nice, glossy side table.

Best,

iSanchez

" ...What is interesting is that this is something that is more associated with amps, not preamps"

Hello iSanchez,

Are you suggesting that the sonic improvment you observed and described are due more from Jouole-Electra LA-300ME preamp or your Spectron Musician III Mk2 amplifiers?

Thank you very much

Rafael

"Your question made me curious about what my system would sound like without the preamp. I connected the Benchmark DAC1 straight to the mono-blocks and listened. Unfortunately, I had to get up and leave within 20 seconds."

This implies that the Joule Electra Marianne Memorial Edition preamp might be performing something like equalization. Perhaps you simply prefer this equalization to a more truthful presentation.

I don't mean to offend but maybe this isn't what others may prefer.

Hello Rafael,

"Are you suggesting that the sonic improvment you observed and described are due more from Jouole-Electra LA-300ME preamp or your Spectron Musician III Mk2 amplifiers?"

That is correct. This kind of bass depth, weight, pitch, definition etc., was not there until the Joule Electra preamp was inserted in my system.

A friend out ours, who plays in a quartet, heard his own recording in my system and his jaw literally dropped. He said he's never heard such a clean, articulate and pitch-correct sound from an audio system. This is from a musician who has a few recordings already and who travels to many countries performing. Most of what he said is also because of the Joule Electra preamp.

Best,

iSanchez

Hello iSanchez,

This is exactly what I hear with LA-300ME. Equally as you, I own two Spectron monoblocks with Bybees. Addition of 2nd amplifier was improvement and I thought "can't be better" - but yes it can.

You are more brave then I am - I was afraid to state that for my ears addition of (rather expensive) preamplifier improved bass and slam much more noticeable then 7000 watts (seven thousand watts!) of Spectron peak power.

Its good amplifier, I own them - monos and not planning to sell yet. However, MUSIC , real MUSIC, nothing between you and MUSIC (and bass and shmass and whatever) - only this preamp did it for me - personally speaking.

Never before I have had such experience (besides live concerts, of course).

Very interesting that my speakers are very different from your - B&W802N , and yours are planar Maggies 3.6 - still MUSIC is MUSIC is MUSIC....is MUSIC !!!!!!!!!!

All The Best
Rafael