My kit and a possible purchase of Tom Evans The Vibe or Tom Evan Groove+ SRX

[Rosewind]

Thanks Jazid.
Inexpliable things happen in different systems. The EAR 802 that I sold off to a German buyer raved about its qualities. In my system it had sounded a bit too even-handed. A Herron VTSP 2 that I listened to through a Line Magnetic 219a sounded dull and lifeless. Without it the LM 219a sounded massively better.

The DIY DCB1 sounds crisp, detailed and brings forth marvellous bass with my EAR 516 + ELS 57s in my small 9 square meter study. If the Vibe is better, it is really good. Thanks for the comment!

[Rosewind]

I would still like to hear from other Tom Evans The Vibe owners to hear what they used the preamp with and what they changed to if they did change to something else.

[anubisgrau]

As above, B1 was truly the worst pre I tried and I had many. There is a problem with Pass products in recent years, they are quite far from sound level from his best works some 15-20 yrs ago. Very dull and boring, technically correct but no music.

As for the comments about units sounding different in different systems, the answer is quite simple - matching impedance. If people would think a bit more what they are trying to match, this would be more of an educated/informed and less of a trial/error game.

[Bigman80]

As above, B1 was truly the worst pre I tried and I had many. There is a problem with Pass products in recent years, they are quite far from sound level from his best works some 15-20 yrs ago. Very dull and boring, technically correct but no music.

As for the comments about units sounding different in different systems, the answer is quite simple - matching impedance. If people would think a bit more what they are trying to match, this would be more of an educated/informed and less of a trial/error game.

Never heard a B1 but had a Turbo DCB1 which certainly didn't lack in musical terms. No apparent technically correct over enjoyablility in my opinion but yes, matching a pre to a system is of greater importance than I realised.

[Rosewind]

Thanks both. I enjoy my DIY DCB1 immensely. No complaints there.

[Jazid]

Yes, and Ollie got my Dcb1 and loved it too, pimped it up as well. Just goes to show. Gordan's impedance matching position doesn't add up here, important though it is in general terms. A BCB1 is a zero gain buffer, it should be utterly transparent and unaffected by any reasonable circuit on either side of it. That it manifestly isn't is my sole criticism, but where it does work, it works very well and many I trust attest to this. Gordan and I march out of step with the rest... That mysterious synergy, it's all magic smoke and solder to me!

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[anubisgrau]

Buffers can be strange, once I owned Bent Audio TAP with Slagle AVCs inside, it was a decent preamp as long as you don't activate output buffers. A pure horror!

[montesquieu]

I've had several B1s and DCB1s (I think four or five altogether) and experience has been variable according to what they were partnering. At their best they can be good, if a bit behind the very best - though sound per pound when well executed and well matched is quite hard to beat.

I have heard both a Vibe and a Linear A driving Tannoys, and a Vibe on its own driving a KT88 push pull amp. The Vibe on its own is a superb thing and should be better than any of the Pass boxes under almost any circumstances - it was utterly superb regardless what it was driving. However I would suggest the Linear A however requires careful matching - it didn't set the Tannoys alight at all, I suspect due to its relatively high output impedance. It may be happier with less fussy speakers. Be cautious and try and get a listen with your speakers before spending money. (I'm glad I did).

[Jazid]

As ever Tom is on the money. It was my Linear A and it wasn't a success (which was a PITA for me). But music from the Linear A into Avant-garde Trios is a thing of joy and surpassing beauty, and it made a good fist of it into my ANEs.

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[jahsavage]

I have a Groove SRX+ and over the years upgrading all the way from an ISO. Several times during this period I felt I could do better but during comparison it always embarrassed the competition (included an AR PH9). I have used TE phono stages with the Audio Innovations S500, Audio Note M3, Zanden 1200, Audio Design PreAmp and more recently the Almarro A318B(+).

I have considered the Vibe several times in the past but I now have an integrated amplifier so its not necessary!