Jonathan Valin

1 week ago | theabsolutesound.com | Jonathan Valin

As fate would have it, the first room I visited showcased the four-way (320mm-wide woofer, 25mm-wide midrange/tweeter, 5mm-wide supertweeter) $200k AlsyVox Botticelli ribbon loudspeakers driven by Soulution’s new 717 amplifier, POY-winning 727 linestage preamplifier, and OPOY-winning 757 deemphasis unit, and sourced by Soulution’s extraordinary new 787 linear-tracking turntable/tonearm with moving platter and DS Audio Grand Master EX optical cartridge.

1 week ago | theabsolutesound.com | Jonathan Valin

This moderately affordable streamer/DAC/digital preamplifier from Jürgen Reis of MBL may not have all the features of the seven-times-as-expensive Kalista DreamPlay (it has no built-in disc player, for one), but on streams it comes shockingly close to the French unit’s extraordinary sonics.

2 weeks ago | theabsolutesound.com | Jonathan Valin

The Kalista DreamPlay XC from France is by design impossible to reduce to a single component category. The DreamPlay isn’t just a DAC or a streamer; it is both, as well as a CD/SACD player and a preamp with Leedh Processing volume control. In Kalista’s words, it is a “universal digital source.” Sitting on its optional, floating, anti-vibration Silent Base, it is also an object of considerable beauty.

2 weeks ago | theabsolutesound.com | Jonathan Valin

The 757 preamp, Cyril Hammer’s Series 7 replacement for his superb 750 phonostage, is truly unique. Yes, it will handle mc or mm cartridges with Soulution’s customary aplomb, but it will also eq and amplify optical cartridges from DS Audio, and eq and amplify IEC or NAB tapes from any deck that allows outboard preamplification of the signal at the tape heads.

3 weeks ago | theabsolutesound.com | Jonathan Valin

With 20MHz bandwidth and immeasurably low distortion, this completely new, greatly advanced Swiss linestage preamplifier (it can also be had with a superb built-in phono section, making it a full-function unit) is the most “complete,” the most lifelike preamp I’ve heard, fully living up to the sonic claims of its designer Cyril Hammer.