AD AUDIO 'SATCHMO' Pre Amplifier
I was asked by another member of this parish to give my thoughts on the new Satchmo Pre Amp from AD Audio.
i am not experienced at this sort of Jazz so bear with me...but here it is.
Built by David Coe ('Juancho' on Wam & AoS) has a Considered and professional approach to his work, knows his Onions and is a very likeable chap.
Impressions:
Digital
Dynamics across all frequencies fill the room in startling beauty.
Bass is full, controlled with such depth in each note no flab or bloat and that lovely wood coming through the notes on Acoustic Bass, you can feel the strings being plucked.
Midrange is so open but with richness and depth, it digs into the tune to extract the beauty in strings and both female and male vocals. Sinatra literally had me in bits on 'Autumn Leaves'...
Strings have richness and extension and seem to go deep into the layers of the music.
Top/treble is so sweet, extremely detailed but not edgy and no rolling off. I can listen for hours..Cymbals have a depth of metal being struck, horns float and fade with such air.
The combined presentation has such an image that the dreaded 'Holographic ' bollocks cliche is an unavoidable description. The dynamics and overall musicality
are quite overwhelming. Each tune becomes an experience and demands your attention and holds your involvement.
Vinyl.
With a combination of the 'Satchmo' and Hashimoto HM7 SUT
The whole presentation is quite Astounding. The music simply
moves you emotionally to the point of paralysis!
Details, emotion, instrument imaging and feeling is a real experience.
The over all Flow to the presentation is beautiful.
Music is so engaging, it demands your attention, even at low volume levels.
Phono stage is very quiet.
A quality feel all around to the unit, nice Italian made case, simple to look at, satisfying feel to the knobs, if you know what I mean..
I must be clear I have NO professional connection with AD Audio and David Coe and have No other incentive than to 'Big Up'
his builds and service.
APOLOGIES FOR LACK OF PICTURES...I AM NOT GOOD AT ATTACHING PICS ON THE FORUM POSTS!
A LINK TO THE IMAGE OF THE UNIT IS BELOW (Contact David Coe for under the Hood Pictures)
The Specifications for all Satchmo Preamplifiers are:
The Satchmo is a very high quality preamplifier that uses an SRPP driver stage.
The circuit design incorporates a high voltage regulator that keeps the voltage to the anodes at the optimum value.
DC filament power helps to create an amplifier with low noise and exceptional sonic qualities.
Frequency response 15 HZ to past 25 K HZ +/- .5db
At 1 volt into a 50K ohm load.
S/N in excess of 90 db at 1 volt.
THD under 0.5% at any frequency.
Maximum output into 50K ohms in excess of 20 volts.
The Satchmo can be designed and built to your very own specification. Options include:
remote control
your choice of attenuator
phono stage
number of inputs /outputs
All Satchmos are hand built using point to point wiring with silver wire in the signal path, Kiwame carbon film resistors, LeClanche or Mundorf coupling capacitors, and JJ802s valves.
The base model with Alps volume control, two outputs and four inputs built in the customised Italian case in the photo costs £1,100
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