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Review 1 of 1
Price Paid:
$5000.00
from Retailer Summary:
I have owned many preamps since my days as an audiophile started back in 1978, including: Altavista Audio fully loaded custom modified SA3000, Conrad Johnson PFR, Conrad Johnson Premier 14, as well as many others. I have attended CES numerous times and have heard some of the most expensive and highest rated audiophile equipment man has ever produced. I have played trombone in a Jazz band and also play 6 string guitar.
I know what live music sounds like and have heard hundreds of high quality systems attempting to duplicate it. Some have come very close, but most have colorations that I can easily identify; not always unpleasent colorations but a deviation from the instrument's natural sound nonetheless.
I own Keith Herron's VTSP-2 (rev 2) and VTPH-1 MC Plus preamps. I will start by saying that the VTSP-2 is the most neutral and least colored preamp I have ever heard in my system by a huge margin. It allows listeners the pleasure of hearing music in a very balanced, cohesive, articulate, and insightful manner that never calls attention to itself and serves the music with the most honest presentation I have ever heard in my system.
I own Richard Vandersteen's 3A Signatures and they are also very neutral and capably of high resolution. The most striking feature for me of the VTSP-2 is that it has made me want to listen to every piece of music I own with new found enthusiasm. Not because of its high resolution, but because when I play my LP's or CD/SACD's through it, I am listening further into the recording than ever before and I can make out to a much greater extent the emotion, feelings and meanings of what the artist intended to convey.
Please understand this, the VTSP-2 is a very high resolution preamp but DOES NOT in ANY WAY sound etched, bright, hard or any other description one usually associates with preamps of that type. It is better balanced, by a large degree, than any preamp I have ever owned or heard. No Kidding!!!!!
Talk about features; this preamp has every important one you could ask for covered, and then some.
I could go on and on about how wonderful this preamp is but it is 2:00 am right now, as I am happily listening to a Larry Carlton LP and need to wake up early and take my daughter to swim lesson.
If you want to get off the "how can I improve my system (preamp) merry-go-round" audition to the VTSP-2. However, be careful what you wish for, because if you dare to audition it at home, I would bet you would find some way to scrape up the cash to purchase it; I did. I can't recommend this preamp high enough, it is that good !!!!!!!!!!
Thank you Keith Herron for making such great products at such reasonable prices. You and Richard Vandersteen stand out in my book, and in many other's as well, as being the undisputed performance to price Kings in the high end industry.
Strengths:
Uncolored, neutral, balanced, cohesive, highly resolving, VERY musical, extremely accurate but vey, very natural; to name but just a few. Weaknesses:
Considering the world class performance; sound and features, I can't thing of a single one. Similar Products Used:
Some were mentioned in the narrative, but the entire list is too long to list and/or remember. If interested, you may view my current system components and accessories despription in Audio Asylum (Vandyman)
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