I dont give a shit about other reviews but my take is this pre is killer however matching it with me poweramps is not ideal, not in my case anyway also class d monoblocks/amps dont do well either. Current setup is Linn majik ds streamer/Me 25 pre/tube dac/perreaux 6000b power amp and its a match made in heaven. A good example is if i pair ME25 with audio alchemy dpa1m monos for a play i find myself disconnecting within 1hr on the flipside same amps connected to audiolab 8200q i dont the sound is much more enjoyable. But pair me25 correctly with the right beast and it is truly off the charts. Perreaux amps are spectacular with this pre also vintage yamaha(p2200) is another i play with

None only bad system matching by idiots posting stupid reviews

Unlike Trevor I have no commercial interest in an any audiophile products or companies. I have been a passionate music lover since I was 6. Have been to thousands of live gigs and have a collection of 8,500 albums LP & CD. I bought my first proper hi-fi system over 40 years ago.

I bought an ME25 on a recommendation in the mid 90's. I have 4 pre-amps and have auditioned many more. All are far superior to the ME25.

The ME25 sound is cold, sterile and undynamic, very unmusical, very narrow soundstage. It has a very gritty midrange with limited resolution. It has no place in a mid-fi set-up let alone high end. I could only recommend this pre-amp if you picked one up for around $200 for use as background music in a workshop. Definitely not recommended for serious listening.

I owned an ME25 amp, paired with usher Mini Dancer 2 and Usher R1.5 power amp. When I initially got the amp I would have agreed that it was very good but not exceptional - following the recommendation of Trevor I recapped the pre-amp totally as well as increasing the capacitance in the power supply to more than double (pre voltage rectifier)(the latter not on the recommendation of trevor!). The difference between the two was night and day - exceptional (read totally magnificent) sound stage, 3 dimensionality from songs that I didn't even believe had the information in them. Considering these can be had for under $1000 there is not much around that will even touch them for close to that money. I believe that many of the impressions on the ME products are based on trying an ME product that is frankly desperately in need of a recap especially when you consider that the default practice (and recommendation) is to leave them on 24/7 (and totally justified)

I also believe that the scope for improvement in this pre amp is exceptional - I briefly tried it with a custom designed VERY high end power supply and this brought it into another league - the power supply upgrade is possible and although initially I viewed the upgrade with a degree of scepticism my own experiments lead me to believe that the upgrade is worth it.

Another added bonus with the ME25 is it eliminates the need to spend any kind of money on interconnects at all due to its design philosophy - my Rega Couple clones (about $50 a pop) sounded just fine - my thoughts these days are that interconnects are just expensive equalisers used to correct inherent 'design' features of preamps - certainly the more I purchase well designed audio equipment the LESS if feel the need to spend time or money on speaker cables OR interconnects.

Its a shame the only reviews for ME on here are either by Trevor himself or someone challenging Trevor's impartiality - for a more balanced view I would recommend looking at Stereo Net where many people have experienced (and loved) the ME25 and other ME products and where many people have been able to personally compare them to the really exotic (10K + preamps)

My 'review' isn't as glowing as Trevor's (above), as I'm not a paid employee who sells them (or did, before they went broke).
They are O.K. for the coin, but they have a very sterile and uninvolving sound.
I certainly wouldn'r recommend them over a quality Jap. integrated, say a Rotel or Marantz (and I don't work for those guys...)
Cheers.

Unbeleivable value for money.

Styling is a love it, or leave it kind of thing.

The ME25 is possibly the best high end bargain, on the planet. It's sound quality resembles that of the power amplifiers: Superb conrtol, very extended response, great detailing and transparency, holographic imaging and an almost 'tube-like' presentation.

The ME25 is utilitarian, in styling. Purposeful, but very well built, using the highest quality materials and components. Remote control functions are minimal, but useful: Volume, Power and Muting.

The ME25 possesses an output impedance of 2 Ohms, thus any conceivable load impedance can be used with this product.

Unusual, in the High End world, the ME25 can be upgraded to the latetest specification, for relatively modest amounts, thus preserving the longevity of this extraordinary product.

I love my ME25. It is 20 years old, this year.

Similar Products Used:

Audio Research SP11-II, Mark Levinson 380S, Dynaco tube.

Ability to drive any loudspeaker, including electrostatics.

None!

The ME850 was the first solid state amp to prise me away from tube amps. It demonstrates all the classic advantages of SS amps, with the advantages previously believed to be the province only of tube amps. At 40 kilos, it weighs in at a similar amount too.

Not only does the ME850 demonstrate awsome grip and control over bass, clean, extended highs, but it also lends a 'sweetness' and ambience, not normally associated with SS amps. It's huge power supply and almost unlimited current ability, ensures that it never clips unpleasantly. It's abscence of Global Negative Feedback, coupled with intelligent current limiting circuitry endows the ME850 with much more apparent power, than it's specifications suggest.

As a bonus, the ME850 may be bridged into any load impedance greater than 1 Ohm. At this level the ME850 can supply a staggering 2,000 Watts. Even at 8 Ohms, the ME850 when bridged can deliver an amazing 420 Watts.

As they say: "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." That could easily be the catch cry for the ME850. The tougher the load, the better the ME850 sounds, relative to it's competition. Couple all this with a 15 year model life and the ME850 is a stunning achievement.

Similar Products Used:

Audio Research D125, Krell KSA150, Mark Levinson 332, Aragon 8008.