dimitry

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
2.75 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $750.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
This is a very special unit. I displaced a tweaked Audio Research LS7 with ease. Extremely neutral, very dynamic, very smooth sound. Not at all dull, like many solid state preamps are. Extended and spakrly treble without etching or hardness. Very deep and controlled low end, but without being overdamped - the ambiance on well recorded records and CDs is preserved. Very believable vocals with a natural presence - not super-spooky all the time but with well recorded material it's there. Clear, well-defined soundstage, again, not super-deep but naturally so. Excellent detail, but without any etching, hardness or undue attention, but when you listen it's all there. Overall, I think this is as close to sonic perfection as I imagine a line stage to be, combining the best qualities of tubes and transistors, which is not suprising at it uses both. Having said that, the unit is ergonomically fine, but is built and documented in a peculiar manner. The wiring on some of the inputs is Monster Interlink 400, with its high capacitance and long in the tooth performance. The unit should be rewired with a superior Kimber. The unit benefits from a spiked foot system like "superspikes". The top cover and the chassis should be made of thicker stock. As it is, a VPI brick is a must and they are no longer made. A good tube damper is also a necessaty, like the HAL-O damping instruments from herbiesaudiolab. Preamp uses an out of production, hot-running tube called 5867, which is only available NOS, with a tube life of very low 1000 hours. Paradoxicaly (idioticaly ?) the manual never mentions tubes once - nowhere ! No inormation as to the kind used, how and when to change, even where they are. That's just plain weird. And I have been trying for over a week to get the value of this unit's output impedance out of Marsh. It's obviously low, but the number has proved ellusive. A great product, but also a frustrating one. This circuit in a $5000 unit would be just great.

Strengths:
One of the best line circuits available today.

Weaknesses:
The circuit is in a $1500 preamp, instead of $5000.

Similar Products Used:
Audio Research LS3, LS7

TonyP

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.50 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $800.00

Summary:
I bought this preamp to keep me happy until my Counterpoint SA3 was returned from the repair shop (updating rca's). The construction quality appears to be very high, the reviews appeared to be favorable, and the designer, Richard Marsh has a well respected name in the audio business. Let me put it to you this way. The SA3 is now sitting on the side . The P2000T has great resolution and the ability to resolve what is recorded is phenominal. Solid, deep and extended bass, wonderfully gorgeous midrange and airy extended highs. You can literally 'hear' the soundstage along with the "space" around the performers. The preamp is VERY quiet, especially for a preamp with tubes. With well recorded media, the presentation is stunning. I am constantly surprised with what is revealed within my recordings each time I listen. The bass is deep, taut, and extended. The VR4's have very deep bass capabilities, and when the bass is present, you can not only 'hear', but feel it. No "one note" bass reproduction here. The midrange is not forward, although there is a slight 'edge' in my system. The rasp of a voice, the minor inflections, even the breathing of the singer can be heard distinctly. With choir music, each voice is distinct. Placement does not wander. You can, with your eyes closed, envision the placement of the singers. The highs are extended and not 'etchy'. The attack and decay of the cymbals is reproduced as if they are being played in your room. Brushes used on cymbals in a good jazz recording reinforce the quickness and resolving ability of this preamp. Violins in the upper registers "sing". Trumpets have the right amount of 'bite' to their sound. The soundstage is 3-dimensional. Very holographic if present in the recorded material. I can listen to the music as never before. It becomes an 'musical experience'. You are drawn into the musical presentation. If it appears that I am very enthusiastic about this preamp, it is because I am. Mind you, this preamp will reveal all the weaknesses in a poor recording. My musical tastes run from large scale orchestra, jazz (ther 'real' stuff.. none of that fluff of today), Christian contemporary, and just about anything that 'sounds' good to me. I am using "home made" Canare L4E6S with Canare rca connects. I like these interconnects better than the MIT's, Esoterics, Monsters, Vampires or whatever else I have in the box. And, they are CHEAP. Speaker cable used is the AudioQuest Indigo 2 shotgunned. Again, this preamp was a musical 'revelation' for me. It has taken me 20 years to find a replacement for the Counterpoint (I have heard better, but not by much and the cost was too high to justify the purchase). I can only hope that it will be another 20 years before I replace the Marsh P2000T preamp. So far, it looks that way! Associated equipment Marsh P2000T pre amp Parasound HCA200 mk2 power amp Counterpoint SA200 power amp Parasound CDP 1000 CD/Transport Art DI/O DAC modified

Strengths:
Transparent. Wonderful musical presentation. Natural sounding. Excellent soundstage. No 'coloring' of the sound. In the used market, a fantastic value.

Weaknesses:
None that I have heard..

Similar Products Used:
Counterpoint SA3, Denon PPA1500.

Price Paid:  $1600.00 from Local Dealer

Summary:
I bought this pre-amplifier to drive my Marsh 400 solid-state amp. Together they drive my beautiful Dynaudio C-2 boxes. The sound of this set is heaven. The pre-amp is hybrid, but the sound-character is tube-like. The soundstage is stable, clear and transparant. The hihg is smooth and silky, never harsh or grainy. The mid is a little dark. The bassfundament solid and dry. The Dynaudio C-2 are power-hungry. Within my budget is was impossible to find an alle tube equipment to drive these pearls. The combination of the 2000T and the 400 solid state amp is a combination "of the best of both worlds. This set can really handle ever type of music. A solo on a violon or piano will reveal every detail and give you the superb nuances typical for tube-ams. But this set can als handle hard-rock music at very loud volumes (I measured 115 db, without any sign of stress ans distortion on my set). To summarize: the 2000t is a real killer. It is relatively modest priced, compared with the other elements in my set or the competitors.

Strengths:
Sounds Price

Weaknesses:
Takes a view weeks to run in

Similar Products Used:
McIntosh, Accuphase, Classe