Platinum Ear

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $3000.00 from Len Wallis Audio, Sy

Summary:
This review is a follow up on a review I posted a few years ago. I rated this product with 5 stars at the time and my opinion hasn't changed much over time, except that I found a slight flaw when playing SACD. This preamp has been supposedly designed with SACD in mind so the design flaw is a little surprising. Anyone who's heard this preamp will testify that it's a fine preamp with a lush sweet treble and midrange. Well that's very true of CD but I discovered that with SACD the treble actually sounded a little dirty and smeared on many discs. I eventually pulled out the sig gen and scope and fed a 10KHz square wave in at 2V P-P. The problem appeared on the scope right there in front of me. There was a 1V overshoot on the positive edge of an otherwise reasonable waveform. Reducing the input amplitude significantly reduced the overshoot so that proved the problem into the first gain stage. The amp is now out of warranty so I lifted the lid and took it to the test bench. It didn't take too long to track down the problem. Essentially it's due to slew limiting caused by excessive shunt feedback which provides hf compensation. The capacitor can be identified as a ceramic 47pf (in both channels). I replaced this cap (both channels) with 22pf polystyrenes. The mod is qute simple if you snip but leave a little of the original component leads sticking up and then solder the replacement caps to those exposed leads. I tested the amp again and hey presto a perfect looking square wave even with the level raised beyond 2V P-P. While I was at it I also replaced a few other ceramic fb caps with the same value polystyrenes and there was one other mod which is well worth while. The output coupling caps are polarised 10uF electros which are notoriously bad for audio at LF and explain the slightly lumpy rounded base that I always noted as a signature. I was able to mount a 100uF NP electro almost directly above them with one end soldered to the output post and the other to one leg of a nearby raised resistor leg that's connected to the input side of the existing electro. OK, with the lid back on and the player back in the Hi-Fi how was it. Massive improvement? Answ = yes. The fat rounded base was almost all gone and was replaced by a tighter more defined and detailed base. Treble was even more pristine than even on CD but now it was unbelievable on SACD too. There are a few other mods that I'm going to do (a few more caps to replace here and there) but this is now one hellava preamp. I don't advise anybody do the above mentioned mods unless you can first test the player with a cro and sig gen as I did. My preamp was a fairly early factory release so the faults that I've discovered may have been partially or wholly corrected in later produced units. There's also a version 2 of this preamp which is also probably fine. Having said that, if you have noted any of the mentioned sonic traits of my previously unmodified preamp then it's very advisable to have it tested out.

Strengths:
Lush sweet mids and treble that puts almost all valve amps to shame.

Weaknesses:
Slightly muddled base when driving loads of < 10K Ohms.

Similar Products Used:
Krell KSP-7B

Price Paid:  $1295.00 from Audio Advisor

Summary:
Some other reviewers of the A3cr preamp only evaluated it with the A3cr power amp. This can be misleading, since the power amp's sound is strongly dependent on speaker sensitivity. I've demonstrated this dramatically in my own very large listening room, where the power amp struggled with 86dB-sensitivity speakers, sounding extremely strained. The same power amp, played through Avantgarde Duos (104.5 dB sensitivity) sounded like a $4000 amp. Taken on its own merits, the pre amp line stage is terrific. It combines resolution with clean highs, transparent midrange, and full, solid bass. Soundstaging is excellent, and there is no trace of hardness or harshness. If it has a sonic signature at all, it would favor the warm side in the mids, but only very marginally. (The A3cr power amp is, in my opinion, a little on the lean side, so there is some complementarity, although I think the combo is very slightly lean, even through sensitive speakers.) The preamp design applies amplification ahead of the volume pot, which reduces noise (since any noise associated with amplification is reduced by the volume control). This also means that the amplification stage must run at essentially full volume, which is undoubtably one reason for the massive power supply. The amp is very quiet, as attested by the Avantgarde Duos. Through the Duos, the combination of A3cr pre and power amps is not absolutely silent at very close range, but then, nothing is -- at least in my experience. Build quality on the preamp is excellent. The styling may or may not appeal, but the appearence and feel clearly send a message of sound, solid construction. The phono stage is decent and is switchable to cover low output or high output cartridges. I invested in a separate phono preamp (Camelot Lancelot Pro, $1000 MSRP) that does out-perform the A3cr phono section in terms of resolution. I ordered this product from Audio Advisor as an afterthought along with the A3cr power amp. I made sure that I had the right to return it, and actually expected to do so. It really caught me by surprise. The A3cr preamp is one of the great buys around right now: true, affordable high-end performance. Stereophile catches a lot of flak for rushing to review every Musical Fidelity product that comes along while other brands sit on the sidelines. This preamp makes you understand why Stereophile is willing to take the heat.

Strengths:
High resolution, transparent midrange, and solid bass, without a trace of harshness

Weaknesses:
No significant weaknesses in the line stage, given the price. The phono stage is only decent -- not reference quality.

Similar Products Used:
Z-Systems rdp-1 digital preamp, Cary SLP-94 preamp, and Camelot Lancelot Pro phono stage

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I bought this pre after I had the Musical Fidelity A3CD and the A3cr power, and although the audiophile would snob a complete brand match, this one actually works. The overall feeling is a sense of naturalness and effortless, music is not in the face but neither to layed back. The sound is extremely clean and there is no signal interference at all (and I mean at all). Soundstage is good, even in depth, and instruments are individually layed out. Detail is good and no sense of fatigue what's so ever over long listening periods. It works well with all kinds of music from acoustic to electronic, to rock++, except for very aggressive music where in my opinion for some there may by a lack of sparkle in the system, which could be due to the character of my cd player. The system it's used in Musical Fidelity A3CD Musical Fidelity A3cr pre Musical Fidelity A3cr power B&W CDM 7nt QED Qunex Siler Spiral interconnects QED Silver Anniversary Bi-Wire speaker cables

Strengths:
as above

Weaknesses:
as above

Price Paid:  $999.00 from hifi shop

Summary:
I put the a3cr pre on my system and went out the next day and bought a3cr power. i now live in music heavan.

Strengths:
all

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
there isn,t any

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Love this pre-amp. Warm, detailed, musical, with a wide, deep, enveloping soundstage. Purchased with the A3CR power amp, the duo lacked bass for approximately the first 40 hours, so be patient. Midrange is crystal clear, highs are sweet, never harsh, and bass is deep, unmuffled. Compared to some other systems I have heard (at various dealers), this is still a bit lightweight (need for more power?), images not being quite as weighty as they could be, but this is an insanely minor complaint given the other strengths of this combo. Can't stop listening.

Strengths:
as above.

Weaknesses:
as above.

Similar Products Used:
Rotel integrated, Denon receiver, C-J, Antique Sound Labs, Cary gear