I've had many pre-amps, Conrad J, Audio R,Parts Connection, NYAL(in some ways the old Moscode was the best up til now). The Audible Illusions Pre amp is in a different league. Some companies pre-amps are musical, bloated and slow, or fast, lean & irritating. I recently tried the Parts Connection Kit, built with the 12AT7 tube it sounds very good, for the money it is a true bargain. Then I decided to try the Audible L-1, this is a fantastic product, it has all the warmth of a Conrad and as much detail as Audio Research, it has superior instrumental timbre, it is relaxed yet will startle the listener when called upon.

Just bought an Audible Illusions Mod 3A after auditionioning several other preamps after EveAnne Manley suggested I upgrade my system with their Perfectionist Preamp for the VTL compact 100's I am using with my Quads. Never got around to audition the Perfectionist, but since a dealer in town was selling the Audible Illusions, I liked it better then the Audio Research I had previouly auditioned and that "Stereophile" had also given an "A" rating on. However, I must caution everyone, the LS-1, which I had auditioned first, is not the same animal as the Mod 3A, inspite of what "Stereophile" says. The LS-1 had a very noisy power transformer, the sound was dark and somewhat opaque, and this through Quads even. The LS-1 should probabley be sent back to the factory but the Mod 3 is indeed worthy of it's "A" rating, with a very alive and dynamic mm. phone stage even.

This preamp is amazing. I seriously suggest consideration of the law of diminishing returns if you plan to spend more than this for a preamp. Ive heard em all but Ive never heard better. Now onto the amp...anyone know of a category killing sol state amp that will replace my Melos tube job (that needs routine bias adjustments)?

The Audible Illusions Modulus 3a kills everything in the market regarless of price, even digiphiles like it. LP's sound the closest thing to live music, just incredible! After listening to this baby, solid state preamps sound sterile, harsh, dry, and worse of all their sound push me away.

I AM A MUSICIAN WHO AUDITIONED SEVERAL PRODUCTS BEFORE PURCHACING ANY EQUIPTMENT .I AUDITIONED SOME CONRAD JOHNSON PREAMPLIFERS AND AMPLIFERS,SONIC- FRONTIERS EQUIPEMENT , SOLID STATE ALSO. I HAVE TUBE AMPLIFERS FOR MY GUITARS AND WITHOUT SAYING I LOVE WELL BUILT TUBE GEAR.I FOUND THIS PRE AMPLIFER TO BE THE MOST UNCOLORED HARMONICLY REFINED AND TRUE PIECE I HEARD.THE NOISE FLOOR IS INCREDABLY LOW. I EVEN USE IT ON MY VOCAL MIKE TO AMPLIFY IT WITH THE VOLUME PINED.NO NOISE .ALSO A GOOD TEST FOR THE NEW 24 BIT REVOLUTION WITH A POSSABILITY OF A 144 DB NOISE FLOOR {BY THE WAY I RECORD 24 BIT WITH IT}MEASUREMENTS ONLY AT 107 DB THUS FAR. I HAVE GROWN WITH MY SYSTEM OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO AND HAVE CHANGED INTERCONECTS , SPEAKER CABLES AND THE PREAMP IS VERRY TRANSPARENT . IF ANYTHING IT HAS ADDED A HARMONIC LIQUID LUSHNESS WHICH I CRAVE FOR CD'S MAKING THE VOCAL INTENSLEY LIFELIKE. HIGHLY RECOMENDED. MANY REVIEWERS HAVE STATED THEY LIKE THE SOUND WITH THE BYPASS CAPS OUT NOT ME SO FAR . . ASSOCIATED EQUIPTMENT: PANASONIC 414 DVD PLAYER WITH TRUE 96/24 DAC, MARANTZ 67 SIGNATURE EDITION, CAL SIGMA 2 ,KIMBER KCAG WITH WBT 108'S ,DOUBLE RUN OF 4 TC ,PBJ'S, CARDAS CROSS SPEAKER CABLE, NORDOST BLACKNIGHT, AUDIOQUEST TOPAZ CUSTOM FITTED WITH WBT 108'S, SILVER AUDIO 4.0'S W/ WBT 108'S, QUICKSILVER AUDIO M60'S 4 OHM TAP CUSTEM SPEAKERS 3 WAY 18 DB PER OCTAVE X OVER WITH GOERTZ COILS MUSIC CAP CAP'S KEVLAR ETON MIDS, SEAS ALUMINUM DOME TWEETER PEARLESS 10 INCH WOFFER CARDAS BINDING POSTS SOON INSTALING SILVER AUDIO CABLE INSIDE CURRENTLY 4 TC KIMBER.

It was great for the money until the reviews about 4-5 years ago came out.Now the price is high,you can do better today for the same $$$.It has a decent phono stage,and a mono button,which can be great for those old mono recordings.I traded mine in for what I felt was a superior machine,but if you can find a nice one used,that's great,but the new list price,look elsewhere.

Soundstage width and depth, detail, smoothness

Forward presentation before break-in period

I have been a long time musician (drums and violin), and have long appreciated high quality home audio as well.

I have auditioned many pre-amps over the past year in the one to two thousand dollar range. I have historically always liked to use a passive line level controller because every solid state pre-amp I have used has comparitavely severely constricted the width and depth of the soundstage in my system. Likewise, I had not been able to find anything as well balanced from top to bottom as a passive controller.

In looking for a new active pre-amp, I first tried the Bryston BP 20 (because I have a Bryston 4B ST amp). It exhibited the typical solid-state sound stage constriction. I next tried the Adcom GFP 750 (which has both a passive and an active stage). I thought the Adcom was excellent, particularly for the price; the passive stage sounding better than the active stage. But the passive stage sounded only a marginally better than the passive controller I had built, so it was not worth the $1,200.00 cost to me. Next I moved into trying a few tube pre-amps. The B.A.T. was the first active pre-amp to match the soundstage and smoothness of the passive controller, with a little boost in dynamics and bass to boot. Again the differences between the passive unit did not warrant shelling out 2 grand. Next I tried the latest offering from Quick Silver. The Quick Silver produced an amazing increase in the soundstage width, but when matched with the Bryston amp it was rediculously forward in presentation, removing all the depth of the soundstage. It also sounded a bit bright, with a lack of low bass and a spike in the upper bass when paired with the Bryston.

I was about to give up the search and stick with the passive unit when a friend brought over his Modulus 3A. He had his unit about a year. We hooked it up and I was amazed. Soundstage width increased a large amount, and this was the first time I had heard a soundstage depth coming from my system which rivaled that of some of the best systems I have listened to in high-end salons. The Modulus also extended the low bass into a region I had not heard from my speakers, while firming up all other regions of bass. Highs and upper midrange, while detailed, do not sound sharp like I have heard from the solid state units I have auditioned.

Eplaining these details are fine, but they do not convey the overall effect of adding this pre-amp to my system. I have been able to hear instruments in recordings which I have simply not heard out of other pre-amps. Imaging and soundstage presentation are a joy; instruments seem like they are in the room in their own space. It is very easy to get drawn into the music. The detail coming off individual instruments is amazing without sounding analytical.

This is the last of a long series of upgrades to my system. While all the upgrades have bettered the sound, this one made the system sound beautiful.

The only bad thing I have to say is that the unit takes a while to break in properly. The soundstage presentation out of the box is too forward for my taste, and the mids and highs are slightly gritty sounding. After break in, the unit is in a different class than anything else I have listened to.

My system consists of:
Bryston 4B ST amplifier,
Audible Illusions Mod 3A pre-amp
California Audio Labs CD Player
Paridigm Studio Reference 100 speakers
Various cables and propably a new turntable at some point since the pre-amp has a very good phono stage.

Similar Products Used:

B.A.T. VK3i, QuickSilver Line Stage, Adcom GFP-750, Bryston BP-20, home made passive line control

This is actually a A/B comparison with the Transcendent Grounded Grid.Let me first say that I only bought this Preamp unheard as a
whim after reading reviews on soundstage and going to Transcendents Home Page.
It is an extremely versatile product as Bruce also just gives out the Grid design for DIY'ers.

On the Forum, they recommended several upgrades which improved the sound somewhat. Change to better volume Pot, Different coupling caps, faster diodes etc. My review was done after an initial
run in of the stock product of 3 wks and unit is currently under the knife,
I have used the Modulus 3a in my system for nearly a year.


When I first put ithe Grid in my system which consists of a Pass Labs 5 and Modulus 3a, the initial observation was that of speed. It was not as warm as the Audible illusions which gave a lush but rather leisurely presentation. It excelled in staging, was more extended and better controlled in the bass, and capable of greater detail resolution. Both these units did very well at the re-creation of space with the Modulus 3a offering more an old world charm.

One annoying thing on the #3a which has irked me for these 2 years was transformer hum. On the Grid, It was so quiet that there was almost no tube hiss even when I placed my ear close up to my Avalons.

Subsequently I brought the Grid to several systems to a/b. Its charcter can be described by two key words :Neutral and detailed.

One aspect that might be of concern is that because it tends not to be so euphonic and laid back, vocals can be slightly foward.Playing with NOS tubes altered the presentation , similarly with Interconnects and power cords.

Have just put in a couple of REL Caps and high speed diodes and am planning to changing out the volume Pot to an Alps black or even a sealed Noble.

Update in a while.

Midrange, Overall presentation

Lacking in the lowest octave, average phono stage

This was suppose to be a slam dunk. I live in Audible Illusion country, less that than 25 minute drive from the HQ in the San Francisco Bay Area. Around here we have been on the Audible Illusions bandwagon for years, long before audiophiles in other parts of the country knew of its existence. We have lived through its previous, sometimes quirky, always innovative, products and are really happy that they have a winner in the 3A. That coupled with the extensive favorable reviews of the Audible Illusions 3A (all warranted as far as I am concerned), and maybe because I really did not appreciate or understand the level of impact a pre amp has on the sound of a system, the 3A was initially the only pre amp I had planned to consider. The main feature I was really looking for was a decent phono section. And the Audible Illusions proved to be a considerable improvement over the phono section of my current pre amp, the P.S. Audio 4.5 (used passively only).

To cut straight to the bottom line I have given the Audible Illusions 3A a 4 star rating. I came *very* close to adding this pre amp to my system but discovered almost inadvertently a shortcoming during the in home trial which helped me decide to try other pre amps. I have since auditioned 4 other pre amps in my system but I have yet to make a final decision on which one I will buy. I will try at least one more and may be two.

After listening to the Audible Illusions for several days I was enjoying it immensely for top to bottom. (I was enjoying it more than my P.S. Audio but primarily due to the phono section; the line stage of the P.S Audio competed very nicely with the Audible Illusions). Toward the end of my in home demo period I played a CD, which I have since routinely used when auditioning audio gear, the Telarc Poulenc Concerto for Organ, Strings, and Timpani. I could sense from the outset that something was missing, but I was listening casually so I really did not zero in on what was not right. However, the last 3 minutes or so of the Concerto includes, a somewhat faint but *very* deep organ passage which is sustained continuously for well over 90 seconds. Because it is sustained it is easier to gauge than a transient. I once read where this sustained note was at 23 HZ. Through speakers that truly go this deep the Poulenc passage seemingly causes a change of barometric pressure in the room much like what I remember happened at the live performance of this concerto I attended. It feels like a small earthquake (I live in the San Francisco Bay Area). Now don’t get me wrong, the Audible Illusions "spoke" in that region, but it fell very shot of replicate the music that was on the CD or replicating what I remember from the live hearing. (Believe me once you have heard the Poulenc Concerto in a live performance you will *never* forget it). It was almost as if the music score was rewritten for a the octave above.

Was the problem caused by some amp/pre amp mismatch? Maybe, except that other pre amps have since reproduced this passage (with varying degree of success) in the identical system. Does my P.S. Audio, which reproduces the passage extremely well (in the passive mode) has some sort of non linear bump which provides false bass? I don’t think so because even when I go pre less, using only the CD player, the bass I get far exceeds what the Audible Illusions produced from the Poulenc CD.

Is the Audible Illusions lacking in deep powerful bass? No, not at all. . I played some of my son’s Hip Hop/Rap (under his supervision). This stuff has features some awesome bass line funk. The Audible Illusions carried this off *extremely* well. But I understand that the bass line with this music is between 50-60hz. My guess is that the Audible Illusions begins a slow roll off below 40hz and while it has out put to 20hz it is clearly down.

I understand that 95% of audio systems out there are not capable of
reproducing that lower octave (between 40 and 20 HZ) at realistic levels, and there are not many recordings that have that music content. Am I a bass freak? But certain organ music, which I have in abundance have such content in spades. Plus the advent of higher resolution audio formats such as DVD-Audio and SACD (see my review of the Sony SCD-1 SACD player) I have already learned that recordings with increased bass extension will become more common place.

During the last 8 months or so that I been auditioning pre amps I have developed a tremendous respect of the impact that it has on the sound of the system. And I have a lot better idea as to what I am looking for. Manufacturers and sales people that all but brag that there
pre amps "add sound stage and definition" such as the Legend pre amp purports to do, or add "punch or smoothness", low end extension, etc. simply don’t impress me at all. I’m in the opposite camp; I really don’t want my pre amp to do anything, but allow me to switch sources, provide quality volume control and be a silent partner while driving my amplifiers. I know that total transparency is not possible, but I believe that while some pre amps are busy adding something they are "getting in the way" and preventing the amps from delivering all which they are capable; like ultimate bass extension.

One thing I learned is that my 10 year old P.S. Audio 4.5 (used passively; not as an active line) stacks up pretty well even by today’s standards; not quite up to the standards of the Audible Illusions, but closer than you might think. Back in 1989 the P.S. Audio was billed as a price performance/tour de force. And, except for the phono stage, it was! The 3A is a fine pre amplifier and the only other pre amps that I have auditioned that I would consider superior cost considerable more; the Ayre K-1($7000) and K-3 ($3500). But there superiority rests with their awesome phono stages; not the line stage which were "too defined" for my tastes. But they did allow my amps to do their job on the low end.

So where will I go from here? Well, I have already resolved my phono
pre amp problem (which was the primary reason I was looking for a pre amp). I have settled on a tube phone pre amp from Music Reference. It is not up to the level of the Ayre phono stages, but I find it superior to the Audible Illusion 3A phono stage. The answer to my search may be under my nose; that is; I will try an approach which has given me good success for the past 10 years; a passive pre; one which is employs quality parts throughout, a well though out volume control and is well matched to my system. So my next in home audition will be with a volume control/passive pre from Placette Audio. Hope it works (I think it will; I have really researched this one). Otherwise, I will give a Lamm pre amp an audition.

My current system (changing rapidly):

Nestorovic System16 speakers (satellite/sub system)
Nestorovic electronic crossover (for low pass only)
Musical Fidelity Nu Vista 300 amp (for satellites)
Electron Kinetics Eagle 400 monos (two for the sub pair)
Monster Cable speaker cable (I'm not sure what model)
Monster Cable interconnects throughout (again I'm not sure
what model)
Sony SCD-1 (Super Audio CD Player)
P.S. Audio 4.5 pre amp used in the "straight wire" (passive)
mode. (This is the next componant to be replaced)
Music Reference RM 4+ phono pre amp
Denon DP 60 turntable with Shure Type V MR (This set up will
soon be replaced

Robert C. Lang

Similar Products Used:

BAT VK-30, Ayre K-3

Tremendous soundstage; great highs from a tube unit

lacking balanced connections

This is a fine product, although it's getting a little pricey in this competitive marketplace.

The sound is very airy, and the amp generates a very wide and deep soundstage. I have used this amp in systems that were inexpensive and it brought the level of the entire system up a quantum leap; a lot like Michael Jordan or Larry Bird did for their teams.

I will retain this piece of equipment for a long time.

Equipment:

Monarchy 22B DAC
Theta Data Basic CD Xport
Von Schweikert VR-4 Speakers
Technics 1200 MK2 Turntable with Ortofon Cart
Edge Technology LR speakers
Monarchy SM-70 pro amps
Creek OBH-12 pre-amp
McIntosh MT-120 tuner

Similar Products Used:

Sonic Frontiers SFL-1, Line 1, McIntosh C-28