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Review 2 of 3
Price Paid:
$800.00
from at Mexico City Summary:
The construction is sober but precise, nothing more or less than what's needed.
You don't need to be paying an extra $300 for exotic wood side panels.
The sound is exactly what you'd expect from a vacuum tube amp, even when you need to wait one hour to obtain the best sound possible. The velvet touch is certainly there, even when connected to a solid state pre-amp of mediocre quality and entry level speakers. Even with low-cost equipment, such Yamaha NS-150 or Athena SF1, the amp has good general dynamics, a corrected and homogenous extension, with a slight roll-off of the treble. The bass lacks a little agility in very difficult passages, but is correctly reproduced with great extension and without trailing all over the room. But it may be a good idea not to use speakers that are too exuberant in the lower register.
Little to say on the mid-range. I've never heard a vacuum tube based amp with a bad mid-range. In this case, indeed, the mid-range is also lucid, fluid and warm, without any roughness. Both male and female voices sound very natural. In fact it is with male voices, which in my opinion are harder to reproduce, the AQ-1004 gives of its best, particularly with the darker nuances.
The instruments are correctly spaced out and clearly in focus. No drum kits four meters wide or eight foot singers. Everything is in its proper place, which is a quality not to be sneezed at! Great depth in the centre and closing sides in a semi-circle around the listener.
A slight drop in performance can be noticed when playing at very high volume. First, something is lost in the harmonics of acoustic instruments and then in the sharpness of focus around the performers. Strengths:
Impression of solid build quality
Absence of useless but costly embellishments
Inclusion of the complete wiring diagram, allowing for experiments
The price, probably unbeatable Weaknesses:
None Similar Products Used:
Margules U280
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4 of 5
