Music First Audio is Jonathan Billington, a transformer winding specialist who was born right into a enterprise began by his father and a companion method again in 1963 and carried on by his mom after his father handed away. It wasn’t till audio tweak-meister extraordinaire Thorsten Loesch managed to seek out Jonathan and persuaded him to make some transformers with which to construct a transformer-based preamplifier (or TVC as they’ve turn into identified) that Billington bought the thought to make passive preamplifiers and joined the hi-fi fraternity.
The relaxation is sort of historical past, since then Music First Audio has established itself because the premium model in TVCs with a variety of preamplifiers and step-up transformers primarily based on transformers wound in a workshop close to Rye in East Sussex. Up till now all Music First Audio passive preamplifiers have been primarily based on a mechanical swap that selects particular person faucets from a transformer for every channel. Each faucet represents a level of attenuation and the amount vary of the preamp is outlined by the quantity of positions on the swap. I used to be below the impression that it was the variety of faucets fairly than the controller that’s the limitation, however plainly nobody makes a swap with something close to the quantity of steps that Jonathan needed to supply within the new Reference V2; even the Baby Reference V2 has a mechanical swap and affords 30 steps plus mute.
The Reference V2 achieves its 60 instances 1dB quantity steps through the use of relays together with a transformer that has 30 secondary faucets and two primaries; the relays toggle between the 2 to offer this unusually big selection. It’s one thing that Townshend Audio has achieved with its high passive preamplifier and permits not solely wider and finer gradations of quantity however supplies the choice to show the extent as might be seen on the Music First Audio. Given that the management knob itself shouldn’t be motorised and thus doesn’t transfer it is a helpful indicator of what to anticipate when it comes to quantity. The second LED exhibits which enter is chosen, Music First Audio makes use of letters to indicate inputs, which is uncommon however simple to familiarise your self with. Well it’s in case you solely have two sources related. Those who use all six of the inputs provided will want an excellent reminiscence. Another advantage of the relay system is that it permits distant management of each enter choice and quantity, and Jonathan has had the nice sense to produce an Apple IR distant for the job. Not solely is that this a fantastically made factor, it additionally has such huge dispersion that it’s going to management the receiver nearly no matter which method it’s pointed; you may actually be beside the preamp and level the distant on the reverse wall and it’ll work. No devoted hi-fi remotes obtain this in my expertise… and it even has a mute button.
Sensitive elements
The Reference V2 is notably bigger than something Music First Audio has inbuilt latest instances but it surely follows a sample shaped by the unique Reference mannequin which was usurped by the Baby Reference a couple of years in the past. The further area that the total width case supplies is beneficial on the subject of spacing out the elements inside, the relays used for degree setting want energy so there may be the potential for stray fields and with the ability to hold delicate elements away from them is a helpful. There isn’t any mains transformer, the ability is equipped by an exterior Longdog Audio linear energy provide. The unique plan was to make use of a top quality switched mode provide (SMP) as a result of the sign shouldn’t be amplified and the ability is simply there to function the relays, the issue with that is that an SMP if it’s not designed for audio (see costly) injects noise into the mains and that undermines the efficiency of lively elements such because the amplifier and supply.
This preamp’s six inputs are cut up into 5 single-ended pairs on prime quality WBT sockets plus one pair of XLRs, the unit equipped for overview had a pair of clean covers below the inscription ‘tape out’, suggesting that that is an choice ought to it’s required. On the output aspect, you get two pairs of RCA phono sockets and two pairs of XLRs, however the guide discourages utilizing each RCAs and XLRs collectively. As every preamp is made to order, it’s doable to have the Reference V2 with any mixture of XLR and RCA connections. Each pair of outputs additionally has a floor/elevate swap with a view to fight hum points attributable to floor loops, which is a helpful characteristic that’s not seen fairly often outdoors of valve electronics.
I used the Reference V2 with a Moor Amps Angel 6 energy amplifier and a wide range of audio system together with PMC twenty5.26is and Vivid Giya G1 Spirits, the latter proving notably insightful as you may think. Being a passive machine this preamplifier could be very quick on character. In truth, it appears to be completely devoid of the colorations and distortions related to even high-end lively designs. It’s neither quick and ahead nor gradual and clean; it sounds very very like the supply you connect to it and its sins corresponding to they’re, are strictly of omission. In quick, it doesn’t add something to the sign and an enormous quantity of that sign will get via to the ability amplifier.
With an iFi Pro iDSD DAC it’s each exact and pure in its presentation, very properly outlined however with none of the grain related to all however the very best lively preamplifiers. That’s the good thing about passive operation, you eliminate the challenges inherent in energy provide design in a single fell swoop. If the recording has good stage depth you realize all about it; there’s a actual sense of sonic holography with stay performances which were properly captured no matter whether or not its Ryan Adams or Mari Samuelsen. The latter’s album Mari is extraordinarily properly made and the Music First Audio lets you realize all about it, delivering the finesse of her phrasing together with the stress and emotional impression of the items she performs. There’s an electrical ambiance on lots of the items that’s totally revealed by the uncanny silence of the Reference V2.
Uncanny constancy
I’ve observed that some TVCs lack the bass punch and extension discovered with the higher lively preamplifiers, however this isn’t certainly one of them. That a lot grew to become clear on all kinds of tracks that have been performed. It goes down so far as you want and might kick just like the proverbial mule when the sign requires it. Voices are additionally very properly catered for, the diploma of transparency on supply which means that a lot of the intonation and expression of the midrange comes via that it takes little or no to droop disbelief. With the very best performances this provides you goose bumps such is the energy of realism and presence. But readability is just one a part of the equation, timing is equally important to the tip outcome and that is one other space the place the Reference V2 responds to the supply with uncanny constancy. There is not one of the emphasis that some designers use to make a product sound pacey and thrilling, simply clearly outlined main edges which have impression however no exaggeration.
For a little bit of distinction I hooked the Reference V2 as much as a pair of Valvet A3.5 Class An influence amps that are extra consistent with the type of amps that Music First Audio use for dems and growth. And it labored properly, the additional openness and finesse made every part that was performed that rather more partaking and thrilling. Keith Jarrett’s piano enjoying was completely absorbing due to the benefit with which the notes flowed via the system, the Reference V2 is clearly able to delivering actually fluent, cohesive music the place the tonal depth and the expressiveness of enjoying take priority over energy and assault. It’s all concerning the musical message, and for that matter the spoken one. Joseph Malik’s ‘Tavistock’ combines spoken phrase with low key jazz backing to tremendously highly effective impact, its understatement reinforcing the best way he communicates a perspective that’s so pertinent at this time. Clara Baker’s ‘Things to Burn’ can be very efficient in the best way that it combines mild vocals with aggressive guitar, the dynamic distinction being maximised by the extraordinarily low noise of the preamp.
Music First Audio has achieved good with this new vary topping preamp, it’s among the many highest in school but because of respectable fairly than elaborate casework the worth shouldn’t be stratospheric. It’s not cheap both however preamplifiers that sound this good by no means are, and infrequently what you’re paying for is machined aluminium, right here you get what it says on the tin: reference grade management par excellence.
Technical specs
- Type Passive transformer primarily based preamplifier with distant management
- Analogue inputs Six pairs of inputs which might be any mixture of XLR connectors and RCA jacks
- Analogue outputs Two pairs of XLR outputs, two pairs of single-ended outputs (by way of RCA jacks), elective Tape Output (by way of RCA jacks)
- Gain 0dB
- Dimensions (H×W×D) 100 × 410 × 355mm
- Weight 7kg
- Price £7,720
Manufacturer
Stevens & Billington
+44 (0)1424 858260
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