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Review 1 of 2
Price Paid:
$1400.00
from audiogon Summary:
I've always loved a tube pre with SS amps. I had been very much enjoying my Philly Audio blues 7b with my Odyssey Audio Stratos Extreme (stereo) when I ran across this opportunity to pick up the deHavilland. I've long had the Verve on my "someday" list of wanted components after reading the reviews and Kara's philosophy at the deHavilland web site.
When I got the chance to pick up an UltraVerve - I had to give it a listen even though I was very happy with my current preamp. I'm glad I did! The first thing I noticed when I pulled it out of the box was the build quality. This is a beautiful, heavy, wonderfully constructed preamp. Opening the bottom plate showed the attention to detail in the construction. All point to point wiring, highest end parts smartly laid out. Spike feet included too! When I tossed the tubes in and fired it up I was rewarded by the sound all this detail provided. I picked up some NOS tubes recommened by Kara, the person responsible for this wonderful piece of gear. The first thing I noticed was how quite this piece is - dead quiet. Ear right up to the tweeter, nothing, no hiss, not a peep. Everything I value and seek in audio reproduction this preamp provides. Musicality, coveyance of emotion, detail, soundstage, palpability. All of it. The web site says "big sound from big tubes" and this piece puts out some big sound. I thought the soundstage was big before, but the Ultra proved to provide bigger not only width, but depth and height.
Voices and instruments are precisely placed. The quietness of the preamp allows such an empty background that peices appear to come out of nowhere and just float in space. Musically this is a great compliment to the Odyssey Amps and Lorelei speakers, getting every last bit of music and detial out of CDs.
It's got some fantastic tweak features as well - like the ground switch which allows you to float or keep normal the ground, the output level balance controls and mute on power up delay not to mention the outstanding Goldpoint stepped attenuator! The look is classic with the glowing tubes out the top, champange faceplate with red lettering is simple yet stunning. To the other reviewers point about the attenuator and having to turn it up quite a way, I typically have the volume 3/4 of the way to full. I did email Kara about that and her response was, unlike other attenuators, this one is almost perfectly linear all the way from "0" to wide open, unlike others which are front loaded, so turning it up quite a bit is no worry.
It would be difficult for me to believe that it can get better than this! Strengths:
Musicality, soundstage, looks, build quality, quietness, features. Weaknesses:
Can't really think of any - I wouldn't mind a remote (which is an option) but I certianly wouldn't call that a weakness. Similar Products Used:
Philly Audio Blues 7b
Sonic Frontiers SFL-1
Bottlehead Forplay
B&K Sonata Pro-10
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