Neil McCauley
02-11-2015, 08:04
Neil McCauley writes:
Clones who?
A good question. A new brand in the UK, this Hong Kong based organisation was founded on 12/12/12. This is what they say on their minimalist website:
‘Our goal is creating affordable components bringing you closer to the soul of music.
Our goal is producing ELEGANT, AFFORDABLE audio gear, carrying you into the HEART of MUSIC.
“But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” - Deuteronomy 8:18
The italics are theirs, not mine!
Cynical? Who, me?
Well okay, fair enough – it’s easy to be cynical. Doesn’t every maker state something like this? Moreover the initial impression from the weighty but as yet unpacked carton was not entirely encouraging. Plain cardboard. Hardly an Apple product in this respect. The instruction manual is rudimentary, to put it mildly. Hardly an auspicious start.
But then it gets better; very much better in fact.
Immediately I was struck by the superb build quality from the black anodized bolt-together case and the first class rear panel connections. Beyond superb in fact because within the price band, this quality of construction is outstanding, possibly exceptional.
Encouraging!
So, back to the maker’s blurb – ‘AP2 offers a significant step forward in capturing the subtleties, nuances and emotions of music. All aspects of the signal flow are enhanced with lower noise and distortion figures, offering a rich and vibrant audio experience.’
It’s easy to pick statements like this apart; all too easy in fact. So there’s no point other than to explore and possibly ridicule the phrase ‘a significant step forward in capturing the subtleties, nuances and emotions of music.’
For the rest of the review: http://www.hifianswers.com/2015/11/clones-audio-ap2-giant-killer-preamplifier-test-review-by-neil-mccauley/
Clones who?
A good question. A new brand in the UK, this Hong Kong based organisation was founded on 12/12/12. This is what they say on their minimalist website:
‘Our goal is creating affordable components bringing you closer to the soul of music.
Our goal is producing ELEGANT, AFFORDABLE audio gear, carrying you into the HEART of MUSIC.
“But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” - Deuteronomy 8:18
The italics are theirs, not mine!
Cynical? Who, me?
Well okay, fair enough – it’s easy to be cynical. Doesn’t every maker state something like this? Moreover the initial impression from the weighty but as yet unpacked carton was not entirely encouraging. Plain cardboard. Hardly an Apple product in this respect. The instruction manual is rudimentary, to put it mildly. Hardly an auspicious start.
But then it gets better; very much better in fact.
Immediately I was struck by the superb build quality from the black anodized bolt-together case and the first class rear panel connections. Beyond superb in fact because within the price band, this quality of construction is outstanding, possibly exceptional.
Encouraging!
So, back to the maker’s blurb – ‘AP2 offers a significant step forward in capturing the subtleties, nuances and emotions of music. All aspects of the signal flow are enhanced with lower noise and distortion figures, offering a rich and vibrant audio experience.’
It’s easy to pick statements like this apart; all too easy in fact. So there’s no point other than to explore and possibly ridicule the phrase ‘a significant step forward in capturing the subtleties, nuances and emotions of music.’
For the rest of the review: http://www.hifianswers.com/2015/11/clones-audio-ap2-giant-killer-preamplifier-test-review-by-neil-mccauley/