Well, the C500P was added to my system today.
I've been living with the MDA1000 driving the amps and the subs through the Bryston active crossover and have been very happy with the results and overall system balance. Dynamic, resolving and detailed but not to a fault. The tonal balance, timbre, harmonic richness, texture are all spot on to my ears, no grain, no edginess, no hash. The upsampling and gentle filters do wonders to your average and no so great recordings, making them more listenable and tolerable. Great recordings sound, well, great like they should.
If it wasn't for my recent interest in vinyl playback, I would have been happy with the MDA1000 as a preamp.
I've auditioned the C46 and C2200 in my own system a while ago, neither of those preamps really turned me on. Neither did anything grossly wrong, the C46 sounding full and on the warmer side of neutral, the C2200 sounding leaner through the upper mids and exhibiting a bit of tube glare. The MDA1000 was a clear winner.
The MDA1000 being a "purist" approach to a preamp is tough to beat. The analog domain volume control and lack of unnecessary switches and circuits in the audio path make for a very transparent preamp. The C46 sounded veiled by comparison and the C2200 just did not have the same coherence and tonal balance top to bottom.
My main concern was that by adding a preamp, the system will take a step back. This would have to be one heck of a preamp not to hold the performance of the MDA1000 back.
Having auditioned a few very highly regarded preamps, such as the Lamm L2 Reference and the VTL 7.5 by visiting a few guys with different systems recently, I was not prepared to live with the compromises again. I am not sure why people put such emphasis on tube preamps, "the tube magic, the tube warmth", etc... I've owned a few tube preamps myself, BAT, ARC, Audible Illusions, CAT SL-1 and have heard a bunch more, while all different from each other, the SS preamps I have lived with offered just as much performance with none of the drawbacks such as hiss, noise, tube rush, microphonic tubes, uneven tonal balance from top to bottom...
Having reviewed the C1000 review and reading the specs and measurements and realizing that the SS version of the C1000 offers quite a bit better SNR performance as well as there being a difference in the phono stage, I decided the C500P would be the way to go for me. :yes:
Well, that brings me to the C500P. After warming it up for better part of the day, I sat down to do a little critical listening. I am happy to report that there is nothing much to report over the MDA1000 built in pre....
The C500P is dead quiet, no hiss, no noise, no hum. Floor noise is virtually non-existent. The music emerges from a deep, black velvety background, the dynamics are preserved, resolution is superb, there is no noticeable veiling, the overall tonal balance is very similar to the MDA1000.
The frequency spectrum is very balanced, there is no bloat or thinness anywhere from deep bass to the highest highs. Vocals soar, the preamp does not add any chestiness to the male singers, it does not make them sound congested or nasal, it also does not lean out the female voices either, there is no ethereal, unnaturally airy presentation here. The sound simply exhibits the proper amount of weight, fullness and impact. Soundstage is preserved and in no way compromised. Micro and macro dynamics exhibit the same performance level as before. Harmonic content is within normal and natural limits, the preamp does not shortchange the leading or trailing edge transients. This preamp is neither euphonic or syrupy nor unnaturally thin or harmonically threadbare. It is just right.
It kind of reminds me of the "Goldilocks and the tree bears story". Not too hot, not too cold but just right.... Not too soft, not too hard but just right.. :thmbsp:
What else can I say? If there are noticeable changes while it breaks in, I will follow up. As it stands right now, this is a world class preamp.
I've been living with the MDA1000 driving the amps and the subs through the Bryston active crossover and have been very happy with the results and overall system balance. Dynamic, resolving and detailed but not to a fault. The tonal balance, timbre, harmonic richness, texture are all spot on to my ears, no grain, no edginess, no hash. The upsampling and gentle filters do wonders to your average and no so great recordings, making them more listenable and tolerable. Great recordings sound, well, great like they should.
If it wasn't for my recent interest in vinyl playback, I would have been happy with the MDA1000 as a preamp.
I've auditioned the C46 and C2200 in my own system a while ago, neither of those preamps really turned me on. Neither did anything grossly wrong, the C46 sounding full and on the warmer side of neutral, the C2200 sounding leaner through the upper mids and exhibiting a bit of tube glare. The MDA1000 was a clear winner.
The MDA1000 being a "purist" approach to a preamp is tough to beat. The analog domain volume control and lack of unnecessary switches and circuits in the audio path make for a very transparent preamp. The C46 sounded veiled by comparison and the C2200 just did not have the same coherence and tonal balance top to bottom.
My main concern was that by adding a preamp, the system will take a step back. This would have to be one heck of a preamp not to hold the performance of the MDA1000 back.
Having auditioned a few very highly regarded preamps, such as the Lamm L2 Reference and the VTL 7.5 by visiting a few guys with different systems recently, I was not prepared to live with the compromises again. I am not sure why people put such emphasis on tube preamps, "the tube magic, the tube warmth", etc... I've owned a few tube preamps myself, BAT, ARC, Audible Illusions, CAT SL-1 and have heard a bunch more, while all different from each other, the SS preamps I have lived with offered just as much performance with none of the drawbacks such as hiss, noise, tube rush, microphonic tubes, uneven tonal balance from top to bottom...
Having reviewed the C1000 review and reading the specs and measurements and realizing that the SS version of the C1000 offers quite a bit better SNR performance as well as there being a difference in the phono stage, I decided the C500P would be the way to go for me. :yes:
Well, that brings me to the C500P. After warming it up for better part of the day, I sat down to do a little critical listening. I am happy to report that there is nothing much to report over the MDA1000 built in pre....
The C500P is dead quiet, no hiss, no noise, no hum. Floor noise is virtually non-existent. The music emerges from a deep, black velvety background, the dynamics are preserved, resolution is superb, there is no noticeable veiling, the overall tonal balance is very similar to the MDA1000.
The frequency spectrum is very balanced, there is no bloat or thinness anywhere from deep bass to the highest highs. Vocals soar, the preamp does not add any chestiness to the male singers, it does not make them sound congested or nasal, it also does not lean out the female voices either, there is no ethereal, unnaturally airy presentation here. The sound simply exhibits the proper amount of weight, fullness and impact. Soundstage is preserved and in no way compromised. Micro and macro dynamics exhibit the same performance level as before. Harmonic content is within normal and natural limits, the preamp does not shortchange the leading or trailing edge transients. This preamp is neither euphonic or syrupy nor unnaturally thin or harmonically threadbare. It is just right.
It kind of reminds me of the "Goldilocks and the tree bears story". Not too hot, not too cold but just right.... Not too soft, not too hard but just right.. :thmbsp:
What else can I say? If there are noticeable changes while it breaks in, I will follow up. As it stands right now, this is a world class preamp.
Wow ...
