World Design Pre2 pre-amp - Review / Blog

[Mike]

I was first!!

But you already have more amps than fingers and toes!

[Spectral Morn]

Got this on eBay for £230-something delivered. Arrived yesterday. Many folks seem to rave about World Design kit, and I've had my lovely Meitner solid state pre for, oooh, it must be months now, so I couldn't resist when this little pre came along!

As many folks here will know, these usually come as kits from WD (although they will make them up for you for a fair price). This was a kit one and to my barely competent eye seems to have been well put together. Just as well I didn't try to build a kit as it needs someone who'se actually competent with a soldering iron and can be trusted not to burn his house (and probably the rest of the neighbourhood) down as part of the kit construction process .



More inputs & outputs than an AV receiver!



And here is what it is up against in Chateau Jerry, my Meitner PA6i, hailing from Canada ....



Call the WD Pre2 a valve amp, though? One little ecc82 sitting pretty in the middle of the pre-amp module and that's it!

Solidly made, quite hefty, and looks dead cool on the rack. A little bit of blu-tack over the searchlight beam (aka the blue LED) and all is OK.

One slight oddity, maybe, is that sound only issues forth when the little switch in the middle of the fascia is on 'tape' rather than 'source'. Did the guy wire that up wrong or are my expectations wrong? Whatever, seems to work AOK with the switch flicked downwards.

The sound? Well, if I'd had to guess which was the valve pre from the sound I'd have chosen the Meitner solid state. The WD Pre2 is really explicit, with very tightly focussed images and quite an 'exciting' sound - I suspect there is a slight treble edge, although this calmed down after a half hour or so (or maybe I got used to it). Clarity in abundance. Female vocals are a real treat! I played a mono LP of a string quartet, and for the first time didn't hanker after stereo to help separate out the four instruments - the WD pre laid it all bare in mono. Nice, and very impressive.

I don't know what make the valve is yet, but a little tube rolling might not go amiss here (good fun anyway!). Perhaps a vintage Mullard? (I've my eye on one on eBay ).

Really enjoying this on my first few hours listen, as it seems to complement my Bel Canto eVo4 power amp which is a tad on the warm/'musical' side of the fence. But can I live without remote control of volume .... ?

Hi Jerry

How about an in depth comparative review between the two...just to put more flesh on the above post. I have a respect for Ed Meitner designs despite not having heard any. Your shared experience with both units could bring light to the eternal Valve VS Solid State pre debate. You write well go on give it a try. This is SOG after all.


Regards D S D L

[Ali Tait]

True Mike,but one thing I don't have is a decent pre!

[Mike]

True Mike,but one thing I don't have is a decent pre!

Bah!... sod it, I'll build one.

[Ali Tait]

[jandl100]

Hi Jerry

How about an in depth comparative review between the two...just to put more flesh on the above post. I have a respect for Ed Meitner designs despite not having heard any. Your shared experience with both units could bring light to the eternal Valve VS Solid State pre debate. You write well go on give it a try. This is SOG after all.


Regards D S D L

Hi Neil

Yep, I fully intend to do just that! You may note that I titled this thread Review / Blog .... i.e. an ongoing thread detailing my findings as I settle in with the wee beastie.

.... but, yes, the Meitner brand has a very strong following on t'other side of the Pond - which is why I was tempted to buy the pre-amp in the first place from Nick at the Emporium (top bloke, btw). I must admit that I have been very pleased with it indeed. It just seems to make music in a very natural and unforced way - quite unusual for a solid state pre, in my experience. And it's a lovely thing to look at, too - that woodwork is a thing of beauty.

More anon .....

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Jerry


I am looking forward to reading your blog/review,as it progresses....



Regards D S D L

[jandl100]

Interesting listening session last night.

The WAD pre2 is by no means having it all its own way. I didn't notice at first - funny how impressions grow and change their focus as you start to listen more to a component! - but the imaging thru the WAD doesn't quite have the focus and 'in the room' presence of the Meitner. Sound images of vocalists, for example, are larger and vaguer - more amorphous and less solid.

There's more openness and tautness to the sound overall though thru the WAD, in terms of temporal rez rather than spatial. Things seem to happen that bit faster.

Towards the end of the evening my attention began to be drawn toward the tonality/richness of the sound. I'm not quite sure what is happening there yet, but certainly some differences from the Meitner (which is quite a rich sounding & tonally vibrant device).

Interestingly, there seems at the moment to be more of a difference between the WAD and the Meitner when using LP rather than CD. LP sound definitely has more grip and tautness and interest thru the WAD. Same tt, same phono stage (see sig below). Just the line level pre has changed. I'm not sure what to make of that!

Mornings are quiet here in Chateau Jerry, as swmbo is a late riser, so I'm about to pop the lid on the pre and have a peep at the valve. I'll take a photo of the innards whilst I am at it ....

[jandl100]

Well, that's a surprise ... the valve is a Sovtek 6922 / ecc88.

Hmmm. Any thoughts on that?

There's a Mullard ecc88 on eBay auction ending this evening ...

And here's a pic of the innards .... Nice hefty looking trannies!

[Clive]

Now that you've taken a photo I'm reminded that there is no coupling capacitor so that's one less thing to worry about!