Fidelity Audio PRE-120 preamplifier
23rd January 2014

Acoustic Alchemy – This Way

Let’s start at the bass end shall we…? Compared to my Rotel RC-850 preamplifier this unit has a very restrained bottom end. I guess some would say it is quite thin and lacking but given that the Rotel is quite thick and overblown, I think that the Fidelity Audio produces a much more natural bass with considerably greater definition. The electric bass on the Acoustic Alchemy album has a great sense of control and definition and the string bass has a much better sense of resonance.

The midrange has a higher level of detail with gentle threads running through the music being openly displayed and quite easy to hear. The stereo separation is excellent with a rock steady central image and good left/right separation but the imaging that usually comes from 180 degrees either side needs to open up a lot more. My KEF Q500’s are capable of very widely dispersed images but this is not quite so obvious just yet.

The treble is astonishing with extreme precision when listening to cymbals. There is a solid, crystalline purity that I have only heard before using valves and the sense of space and air is amazing.

One thing that is very obvious though is the reduced gain. The Rotel would be at the twenty to position but the new unit is at the quarter to position.

Is it worth it…? Well it has only two hours on the clock and it costs £340 including courier. I’d say it is worth it.