pianojoe

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 9.00 votes

Price Paid:  $3500.00 from private seller

Summary:
http://www.hovlandcompany.com/intro.html I hope this long review will give others like me a guide of what they are looking for: Searching for his her perfect preamp for there system, while don't have to be like me spending so much $$ & time & least to say be disappointed with some company / magazine claimed to be better or best at any price... (All depend on what & which they compare to & use reference from.) As for what I am looking for & expect from is a full body ,close to live music (especially instrument & vocal-that-true-to-live- dimension ).Well indeed the most difficult component to compare (you cannot just listen at the dealer & must bought or brought home to try in your own system )& choose & yet almost can do without is the ''Preamp". My over all system consists of: 1/ QUAD 988 ESL (extremely true-to-life & revealing speaker that regardless how much more $$ you spend on other speakers). 2/ VTL power amp (which I have not even thing of other after listening to others regardless how much more $$ you spend, in term of power, music, money all balance well.) 3/ Accuphase CD 75v (which I over spend but a beautiful build piece of equipment for life (Though, I use it only as a transport because I find it sound more analytical sound even in direct drive to power amp, they are just over build with features that I never even use .I just like to keep .) 4/ ScottNixon TubeDac++; WOW regardless the cost it the best true-to-life musical sound DAC that I ever heard. (I stop chasing all the up/down sampling after having this unit .Least to say that I 'm glad to know & talk to this talent & honest non-businessman designer who so humbly price his product ! He is deserved to be praised & supported.) 5/ Hovland preAmp. What can I say...a piece of art good enough to be displayed in the museum & don't get me wrong, as of course I never choose a piece of equipment because of their look. There is a good reason for me to keep it... I gone through from many passive preamp such as TVC ,Placette& so many other that just have a custom made attenuator .I felt I still missing the body & true effortless dynamic in my system .All of them show good unaltered sound but just little thin in presentation that result of a week original signal which cannot be bought out .I believe it's like looking at a piece of expensive time piece or diamond ; yes they look ok at a normal reading distance ,but look even better when viewing through an non-distorted optical magnifying scope (leitz or ziess)seeing all the details or watching bird with 20/20 vision & then with a self stabilizing /tripod mounted binocular (focus & clear ) .The key to that true musical signal has to be intact & yet be amplified lease distorted through out a signal chain . (good example is the Quad ESL speaker keep it so simple (KISS)in design no cross over & homogenous material through out ,too bad Mr. Walker never know after 30-40 years we still praise for his work .) TubeDac...; design, simple & basic. Hovland also felt into this category, simple in design & as it look & good use of custom work & tweak if I call it .I tried to use other tubes but you can almost save $ by keeping the stock tubes, for it made little different if any better than the stock .It has given me all those I had been missing from other preamp. I used (e.g. Bat 50, CJ 17 (defective & repair from day1 & company refuse to do Update change to newer17-2s, even after many many request, Cary 98....).All these unit miss a define bass of any & bass sounds just like a boom. On the contrary that hoVland able to separate almost every bass piano note without loosing detail ; a piano note hi/lo just keep going on naturally as a real thing . As for Cj & Cary they just come & go real quick & missing some detail & transparency in between that made them sound so so smooth in the mid range such as vocal . Cj even lacks micro dynamic that eventually makes music sound dull except the mid vocal. That may be a problem with some tubes unit except hoVland which I do not know how & why it just sounds not like a tube preamp yet has the energy & clarity, Dynamic that it seems to amplify the original signal & dissects them put them in different plane in space yet all the signal still connected to produce a continuum of so call music as it fools our brain to interpret as if a live musical instrument or singer is singing in front of you! From vocal to complex music & from High to low, hoVland seems to handle with balance without emphasis in any frequency. I think in any system the most important thing is that the entire component must be coming out in balance at the end or else become unnatural. Hovland has detail & airy than those other I mention. Its bass is firm & real .I can hear deeper center; front & back vocal & instrument even if both are aligned center. Cymbal goes from left to right & even small difference of instrument placement can be discerned not the left to right but a slight forth front

Strengths:
of back. Least to say sound goes beyond my speaker as if my speaker disappears, while I totally sink myself into music. I also am able to listen to some less than idea old recording plus any kind of music except the rap! As for other preamp I have only certain music sound better than others e.g. CJ17 Finally this is a one man opinion review & I understand that a perfect preamp may not be the best match of ones’ system. And only if all other component is balance out, will then be able to let the true music come to live (say reproduce 20% of the live music!). Accessories : Audio Magic stealth & Kimble cables . I have to thank you inmates in Audiocircle , Audioasylum which has giving me their opinion & assistance ;also a good site like positive-feedback.com ;enjoythemusic.com Thanks for reading .Enjoy .. ________________________________________

Weaknesses:
price ;what can I say ;it may still be cheaper than original oil painting in the museum ps . when I mean bass is good that refer only to my system of Quad 988 which is 40Hz & farther down will be very weak .

Similar Products Used:
CJ 17LS ,Classe Audio , McIntch,PlacetteAudio volcontrol, TransformerVolCOntrol ,ELvm pod

Price Paid:  $3400.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
I have owned several excellent to exceptional preamps in the last 3-decades, some of which are listed below. Each preamp provided insight into the musical performance that had its strengths and weaknesses. But just like having an extra gear in which to shift you past the crowd on the highway the Hovland HP-100 transports you in an almost surreal way to the musical connection. The epp and flow of the music is, as others have in other places, continuous. This seems like a simple feat and until you hear the Hovland on a excellent system you think you are there. Nothing before prepared me for the transforming nature of the Hovland. Musical communication flowed like water in a water fall or a stream. Each musical note flowing like any other droplet of water in the continuum. The ease of presentation is augmented by the skyward extended, cavernous 3D soundstage, explosive dynamics, phenomenally airy highs. Craftsmenship gets redefined, at what must be considered a high value price, with the Hovland. The sort of instrument that captures your appreciation of dedicated care in construction and execution. Timeless.

Strengths:
Communicates music in way that is so completely engaging you just have to smile and relax. Incredible fluidity, pristine highs, well articulated bass and midrange, huge 3D soundstage, and explosive dynamics. No remote like a manual in a sports car, strangely, seems to reconnect you with the physical pleasures of touching something real and beautiful and not the mushy push buttons on a remote (hardly need to mention the slougthly lifestyles of Americans contributing to profound health risks, seriously, once you start getting up off your butt do change volume on the beautiful Hovland doing other things in the non-remote way seems natural in a natural sort of way :D )

Weaknesses:
Not the last word in the deepest bass extension (but I am comparing it to units costing several times as much) but very well delineated bass.

Similar Products Used:
Levinson 380S, Sim Audio P5, Sonic Frontiers SFL2, Sonic Frontiers SFL1 Signature, Audio Research LS3B, McCormack Passive linestages

Price Paid:  $6000.00 from Brooks Berdan

Summary:
This preamp just makes beautiful music. It is dynamic, sweet and fast. The MC phono section is a good value and makes this unit a relative bargain if you still play vinyl.

Strengths:
Extended, quick, accurate without being analytical and dry.

Weaknesses:
There are some preamps like the CAT Ultimate with better bass extension, but with midrange so gorgeous, it is not missed.

Similar Products Used:
ARC LS 22, ARC LS 3, McIntosh C22

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
It has all been said, at the price this is the best Preamp you will find, one I will own and love for a long time to come.

Strengths:
Graceful, smooth but detailed, involving

Weaknesses:
The chrome face and big knobs, are impossible to keep clean, Slight buzz,I tried three different amps all had the same buzz,I was not able to get rid of it. I emailed Hovland but did not get a reply, so I guess customer service can be added to the weaknesses.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
What can one say that has not been said about the Hovland. For all you ''fools'' out there just sit back and enjoy. Toe tappin'' sound unlike any other pre out there. ABle to truly dissapear and let the source shine through. Internal MM/MC Phono stage is excellent for the money

Strengths:
Soul, transparency, involves listener in performance. Neutral, wonderful highs.

Weaknesses:
NO REMOTE-ugh get up and get some volume exercise.