j dan vignau

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $250.00 from Sound Components, Ga

Summary:
I have had a Diffet 1-A, Diffet 2, Diffet 3 and this Legato. This preamp really sounds as good as the others when powering one amp. When biamping, the Diffet 3 shows it's strength: Major power reserves. My son greatly prefers this preamp over the $1200 Diffet 3, but I biamp electrostatics. This one pushes an Audire Model 2 powering B&Ws to perfection.

Strengths:
Totally clean sound. Extreme reliability. Awesome customer service.

Weaknesses:
None, unless you want whistles and bells.

Similar Products Used:
Advent tuner/preamp, Classe, Crown IC150, Diffet 3 and 1-A, Adcom passive preamp, Carver, GAS Thoebe.

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Milwaukee area audio

Summary:
I have owned the Audire Legato preamp and Crescendo 2-channel amp since 1981. They have both given wonderful, trouble-free service. Recently they got sent to college to power my daughter's hi fi system, and she is thrilled with them. The Legato is a straight-up, fairly simple preamp that performs very well for its price point. It is not a Rowland or a Krell, but for budget-priced gear, it's great. Its sound is very neutral: good mids, ample bass, smooth highs. The only thing I would mark against it is those silly push button controls; I've had to relearn how to use them everytime I've not used them in a month. Overall, however, this is a high value product.

Strengths:
Avoids the transistorized glare common in less expensive equipment. Excellent overall frequency response. Solidly built, very reliable.

Weaknesses:
Modest looks. Those buttons are hard to learn and remember how to use.

Similar Products Used:
Adcom 750, AR, and many others.

Price Paid:  $184.00 from Online store

Summary:
Purchased this pre-amp to replace a Creek integrated amp. Paired it with a Mryrad T-60 power amp, rega P2 table(with elys cartridge, and Creek OB 8se phono stage) and Castle Richmond loudspeakers. This is a great inexpensive pre-amp it is well built and performs flawlessly. Would it compete with $4,000 preamps? Of course not! But for a person wishing to obtain high quality sound this Pre-amp is a giant killer. With the Legatto my system sounds open and detailed, when I added the Creek OB 8SE it sounded even better. The Legatto is not for those looking for cutting edge technology, nor those who feel the needs to invest thousands of dollars in their system. As I stated previously, it may not compete with the high dollar pre-amps but it is not embarrased by them either. The Legatto is pretty hard to find on the used market, although there should be some available. I've talked to several people who have used them in their system then moved on to Audio Research. They had nothing but praise for this piece of equipment as well. My only dislike is the rack mounting face plate on mine. I'm not sure if it is available without the rack but if it is, I'd like it even better(the rack mounts don't go with my amplier). If you can find this amp used, or, even at it's retail price, it is well worth looking in to.

Strengths:
Build quality, Price, sound quality

Weaknesses:
Limited availability, Rack mounting face plate

Similar Products Used:
Cambridge, Creek, NAD, Rotel,

Price Paid:  $375.00 from musical images

Summary:
i still retain my legato and original cresendo from 1980. it resides in my upstairs system. that is currently comprised of the ariston rds11 with the sme2, a mirco seiki badged jvc w/god knows what for a cartridge, ar98ls ( what the hell, i still wax loquatious over the ar2ax''s, and a junk cd player (doesn''t matter make, they''re all junk. the legato and crescendo spent many years cohabiting with my linn lp12, vandersteen 2ci''s, with nary a hitch. i went to tubes eventually, and have used audir research and quicksilver units. julius'' legato & crescendo still hold their own very well. through all the listening years, they have never failed or needed repair. people tend to use abstract language in describing listening experiences. i don''t. it''s silly and all experience of any kind is subjective. i''m a new england boy. i like neutral equipment, accurate reproduction and a killer midrange. the midrange is where the music is, in my unlettered opinion. everything else is boat anchors. is my upstairs system secondary to the main system? no, just different. both hod an appeal for me and i''m never dissatisfied with what i''m hearing. these remian the biggest kick for the buck. i do think the current price for the legato is ridiculously high. no way anywhere near $500.00 a reasonable price would be around $300.00, for a well treated legato. the crescendo remains the most undersung power amp ever built. the original 60 watt, was great, monster power supply, clean as a whistle and way better than the ponyed up 75 watter. i have no idea what julius was trying to accomplish. both units could drive damn near anything, and put out your windows, if you felt the need.

Strengths:
everything for their price point.

Weaknesses:
none for their price point

Similar Products Used:
audio research, quicksilver, air 2.2, krell, levinson, counterpoint, and on and on and on. it''s great getting old. the music becomes more important than the equipment.