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Editors’ Choice: Best Preamplifiers $5,000 – $10,000

PrimaLuna EVO 400

PrimaLuna EVO 400

$5295

The EVO 400 is not only PrimaLuna’s best line preamp offering ever, but it also holds its own against ultra-high-end competition. It’s hard to escape the impression that it was designed from the ground up on a power amplifier chassis. It features massive and sophisticated power supplies, high-voltage regulation, exotic passive parts, and tube rectification via a pair of 5AR4s. Miraculously, it manages to combine the virtues of modern tube sound with the tonal heft and timbral realism afforded by vintage tube preamps. If purity of expression and tonal realism are sonic priorities, get ready to embrace the EVO 400. DO, 305

Read the full review: PrimaLuna EVO 400 Linestage Preamplifier
Audible Illusions L3B

Audible Illusions L3B

$5895 ($5995, full function M3B)

A purist design based on a single Russian 6H23n-EB triode per channel, the L3B distills the best attributes of modern tube sound: precise transients, a detailed presentation, and natural yet non-euphonic textures. It is its insistence on the sonic truth that defines it as a true reference. The L3B’s ability to retrieve the music’s rhythmic drive and drama makes it one of the most sonically persuasive line preamps on the market. Audible Illusions’ best effort to date and one of the best line preamps DO has auditioned at any price: audible illusions on a grand scale! DO, 259

Aesthetix Calypso/Calypso Signature

Aesthetix Calypso/Calypso Signature

$6000/$8500

The all-tube Calypso delivers most of the performance of Aesthetix’ two-box $13,000 Callisto linestage for about a third the price. Sonically, the Calypso is characterized by extremely good dynamics and dynamic nuance. Although the treble is smooth and somewhat laid-back, transparency and resolution are first-rate. Noise floor is highly dependent on tube quality, which has been variable. Competes with the megabuck preamps. The Signature version improves on the Calypso’s already terrific performance with an expanded soundstage, richer portfolio of instrumental textures, more air, longer decays, and better-defined bass. AT found that the Signature version imparted a warmer cast to timbres. RH, 151; AT, 196

Pass Labs XP-12

Pass Labs XP-12

$6100

The XP-12 line-level preamp forgoes dual-chassis extravagance but sonically you wouldn’t know it. Music abounds with stunning orchestral layering and complex three-dimensional soundspace vistas. There’s a level of harmonic bloom across the spectrum, most notably in the infusion of resonance and decay cues around strings and winds. Anchored by the precision of Wayne Colburn’s single-stage electronic volume control from the Xs line, the XP-12 produced an almost eerie sense of music spontaneously bursting forth in the here and now. An outright bargain. NG, 286

Read the full review: Pass Labs XP-12 Preamplifier and XA25 Amplifier
Atma-Sphere MP-3

Atma-Sphere MP-3

$6450 ($7700 with LOMC phono)

This no-frills tubed linestage preamp from Atma-Sphere is a must-hear for the purist music lover. Offering a crystal-clear, smooth, and concise window on the music, the MP-3’s expansiveness is a perfect match for both tube and solid-state amplification. Balanced-only operation, phono optional. SK, 184

Read the full review: TESTED: Atma-Sphere M-60 MkIII Amplifier and MP-3 Preamplifier
Chord Electronics Ultima Pre 3

Chord Electronics Ultima Pre 3

$8495

The Ultima 3 replaces the company’s popular CPA3000. It offers two balanced pairs of inputs, three unbalanced inputs, one balanced AV bypass input, and a pair of balanced and unbalanced outputs. This generous complement of inputs and outputs is housed in lavish and innovative casework that sets it apart from that traditional rectangular box. The Ultima 3 is a very neutral sounding component that’s revealing and uncompromising—it faithfully delivers what’s on the recording. The treble has excellent extension and definition, with cymbals having natural-sounding percussive strike followed by a natural decay, adding to the sense of realism. RB, 339

Aesthetix Janus/Janus Signature

Aesthetix Janus/Janus Signature

$9000/$13,500

The Janus combines Aesthetix’ Calypso linestage with a scaled-down Rhea phonostage in a single chassis. The Signature version features upgraded parts in the identical circuit. The units share numerous qualities: speed and detail; a low noise floor; precise rhythms; dynamics that are almost reference-caliber; and a laid-back perspective. The quiet background and smooth highs add up to long hours of glorious, fatigue-free listening. AT, 196

MBL Cadenza C11

MBL Cadenza C11

$9200

With civilized sonics, both airy and open, dynamics that are lively, and dimensionality and imaging that are exceptional, the C11 is a joy to use in concert with other Cadenza gear, where control and communication via Ethernet link is glitch-free. It is also equipped with one of the most sonically transparent analog volume controls (via a motorized potentiometer) that we’ve come across. NG, 228

Pass Labs XP-22

Pass Labs XP-22

$9975

The XP-22 is a significant upgrade from the previous model in this slot. Based on new semiconductors and a new volume control, the two-chassis XP-22 vaults the performance into another league. The dual-mono power supplies feature double-shielded toroidal transformers for even lower noise. The output stage is more robust, with the ability to drive long cable runs. The XP-22 is so transparent that it improves upon the sound of running a source component directly into a power amplifier—not something every linestage can claim. Musically meaningful detail and resolution are excellent. If the recording possesses the information, the rendering of space can be dramatic and dynamics startling. AQ, 316

Read the full review: Pass Labs XP-22 Preamplifier and XP-27 Phonostage
Yamaha C-5000

Yamaha C-5000

$9999

Yamaha put some heart and soul into its return to the audio deep end. While the NS-5000 speakers and GT-5000 turntable are likely to attract most of the 5000 Series attention, the C-5000 preamplifier deserves its own spotlight. This fully balanced, solid-state preamp incorporates a wonderful, fully discrete phonostage with a massive 80dB of potential gain. There’s a feeling of a signal unimpeded. The C-5000 doesn’t require a sonic counterbalance elsewhere in the system. It also happens to be one of the most rewarding components to just put your hands on and use. An interesting and unique option in high-end preamplifiers, especially if a turntable is an important part of your system. AM, 308

Read the full review: Yamaha C-5000 Preamplifier, M-5000 Power Amp, NS-5000 Loudspeaker, GT-5000 Turntable
Yamaha C-5000

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