Amp/Preamp Asylum: REVIEW: Bent Audio 102 Passive Components by Basstwo

Model:	102
Category:	Passive Components
Suggested Retail Price:	$2000
Description:	Bent Audio 102
Manufacturer URL:	Bent Audio
Model Picture:	View

Review by Basstwo ( A ) on April 22, 2003 at 09:28:43
IP Address: 203.218.95.20

Add Your Review
for the 102

I like to structure my writing when I know that more than one person will be reading it. This inevitably takes a bit more time and planning and therefore I don't write reviews very often. I am still not very good at writing reviews but since I have gained so much from AA, I feel I should at least contribute a little bit back every now and then.

This is supposed to be a review of the Bent TX102 passive "control unit" although I will mention another piece of gear (dCS Delius) that I bought as a consequence of installing the Bent unit in my system. In addition, I am only comparing the Bent unit against two other tube-based preamplifiers that I have so I am not comparing like with like (read what you like from that). From a functionality point of view, there is no difference in the way I use these preamplifiers/control units (ie, source selection and volume control) so to me itâ€™s a valid comparison. It is also not a recommendation to buy or not buy (thatâ€™s your decision) I just want to share my experience. Finally, I am not associated with any audio manufacturers or dealers and I am not in this profession. My interest in audio/music is as a hobby only.

Specifications of the unit under review:

2 Stevens & Billington TX102 silver transformers
All silver wiring
5 sets of RCA inputs (3 WBTs, 2 Vampires)
1 set of RCA outputs (WBT)
1 set of RCA tape-outs (Vampires)
Seiden volume and source selector switches
Remote control

The all up price was around US$2,000 (incl labour).

Communications with the manufacturer:

John Chapman (owner of Bent Audio) was very good at responding to my questions in a timely fashion and he even updates you on his whereabouts so that you don't need to worry if he didn't respond within a day or two. This is a very important but often overlooked aspect of dealing with customers (especially through the internet) and an area which I think many manufacturers and dealers just don't pay enough attention to.

Build quality:

The unit is pre-built kit and looks fairly utilitarian to say the least (just a black box). If you're looking for architectural beauty, look elsewhere. John has a nice control unit (fancy blue frosted glass rods, etc) that he sells as a readymade product if you are that way inclined. However, you can see that the unit has been put together very carefully and in a professional manner. The unit was shipped in a well packed box and everything worked first time out and I have had zero problems to date. All the switches have a nice solid feel to them and the actions are smooth.

Sound quality:

For those in the know, sound quality is the only reason you would consider buying a Bent TX102, right? All the positive feedback from AA heightened my expectations of this little piece of gear. My previous preamps were a Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista and a Supratek Syrah. Both of these are tube-based preamps and the Syrah does seem to have quite a following.

Comparison with Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista:

The Nu-Vista was the first MF product to incorporate the Nuvistor tubes and my first separate preamp. However, in comparison with the Bent, it was a bit of a disappointment in the sound department especially given all the hype about these supposedly rare little tubes. It didn't rank ahead of the Bent in any of the normal audiophile criteria (soundstage, rhythm & pace, warmth, etc) and even in more layman aspects, just wasn't engaging at all even on music I really like. I guess the Nu-Vista 300 amps and the 3D CD players from MF which came later were probably much better designs given the fact that more professional reviewers are using them as a reference. Who knows?

Comparison with Supratek Syrah:

I bought the Syrah to match with my prototype Merlots which were also made by Mick Maloney of Supratek. I have had the Merlots for nearly 3 years and continue to be amaze by what they can do and for about 2 years I have enjoyed using the Syrah. The Merlots are fairly neutral sounding SET amps (against low power 300B SET amps anyway) and the Syrah was designed to go with the Merlots. The Syrah conveyed the emotion of music much more freely compared to the Nu-Vista and the warmth it imparted made most music quite listenable and the character it overlaid on the sound didnâ€™t change no matter what source equipment I was using. As a matter of fact, after purchasing the Syrah, I decided that I no longer needed my Proceed CDP which was used as a transport and I sold it. Since then I have been using a Pioneer DV-S6D DVD player (with modified power supplies) as a transport. I just couldnâ€™t hear any significant difference between the two machines when used as a transport.

The shock came when I decided to try a passive in my system and bought the Bent. Initially it was just to see what difference a passive can make and I had no real intention of replacing my Syrah (I still have it). I was unprepared for the difference in the sound of my system as a result of replacing the Syrah. All those comments about improved transparency were actually true but it was the transparency not just to the music but also to the source equipment that the Bent was able to revealed which was surprising. The Bent simply allowed the quality of the source to come through much more completely whereas the Syrah tended to put a sugar-coating on every piece of upstream gear. With the Bent I can clearly hear the difference between 1) upsampling through the Perpetual P-1A and decoded via a Dan Wright modified MSB Gold Link DAC and 2) bypassing the P-1A and 3) direct analog from the DVD player. I can also clearly hear differences when different cables were used upstream. With the Syrah, the differences in source and ancillary equipment were very kindly covered up nice and neatly. Donâ€™t misinterpret me because the music was still nice through the Syrah but with the Bent, I am now better able to understand that the importance of the source equipment. At this stage, the rational side of me voted for the Bent every time whereas the emotional side was only 60:40 in favour of the Bent. Why 60:40? Because the result depended on the CD playing. With the Bent, the recordings which contain good music and which was well recorded came through in a way that was much more enjoyable than ever before. On good music which was poorly recorded, I can live with it playing through the Bent although the Syrah wouldâ€™ve beautified things quite a bit more. With these CDs I have found that I feel quite distant or detached when the music is played through the Bent whereas using the Syrah, I would be engaged to the music a bit more. For those CDs which are well recorded but are lacking in the artistic department (which includes a number of â€œaudiophileâ€ discs) the Bent portrayed the recording environment very well (based on the descriptions on the audiophile discs) and I guess itâ€™s interesting and fun from that perspective. I usually fall asleep playing these discs with the Syrah.

I thought about the issue regarding the source equipment and after a couple of months, decided to upgrade my DAC and purchased a dCS Delius. Yes folks, I found the culprit. It was the DAC!! Using the Delius, I no longer had a reason to keep the Syrah in the system so off it went into my second system in the study together with the Gold Link. Youâ€™ve heard all those comments that reviewers make about listening to their music collection all over again to discover things they have not heard before. Well I did that too but I also found that now instead of turning on my system 3 times a week after work, I have it on every night and I am again browsing CD shops for new music. It is really that enjoyable! I really love it.

Conclusion:

Buying the Bent resulted in a bit of a revelation for me. I always understood the importance of good speakers and appropriately matched amps and Iâ€™ve heard how important a preamp was but never really understood it until now. The Bent was influential in my decision to upgrade my source and that in itself should say something about how good the Bent is as far as equipment goes. Iâ€™ve also learnt that if you have to strain to hear a difference in a piece of equipment (or cable for that matter) then either there is no real difference or there is a veil somewhere in your chain. Is my system perfect? Far from it. I am saving up for a better transport and then will have a look at replacing the upsampler with a dCS Purcell. Meanwhile, I think Iâ€™ll be spending quite a bit more money on new CDs and look forward to enjoying some music every night of the week.

I hope the above is useful to whoever wants to read it. Apologies for not being able to divide my description of the Bent into how well it sounded into the various frequency ranges (bass, mid-bass, mid-range, treble, highs, etc). Itâ€™s quite difficult for me (also I think a bit pointless) to isolate and to describe music into these distinct categories.

Associated equipment:

Source:
Pioneer DV-S6D DVD player (used a transport)
i2Digital X60 RCA digital interconnect to P-1A (1M)
Perpetual P-1A de-jitter/upsampler (set to upsample to 24/96)
i2Digital X60 RCA digital interconnect to DAC (1M) or Illuminations D-60 (1M)
MSB Gold Link DAC (modified by Dan Wright) with Monolithic HC-2 power supply or dCS Delius
Kimber KCAG interconnect to preamp/control unit (1M)
All source units powered by PS Audio Power Plant P300 through PS Audio Minilabs and isolated by PS Audio High Current Ultimate Outlets

Preamps/control units:
Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista or Supratek Syrah powered through Power Plant P300 and NBS Dragonfly power cable
Kimber KCAG interconnect to power amplifier (1M)

Power amplifier:
Supratek Merlot (prototype) SET monoblocks. Amp section comprises 6SN7-300B-6C33C-B producing 18W per channel. Separate tube regulated power supply with 6SJ7-GZ34-6C33C-B tubes.
Powered through separate PS Audio High Current Ultimate Outlets and NBS Dragonfly II power cables

Speaker cables:
Kimber 8AG to LF and Silver Audio Symphony 32s for HF

Speakers:
Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage

Product Weakness: No remote on source selection
Looks
Product Strengths: see above

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Supratek Merlot SET monoblocks
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista, Supratek Syrah
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Pioneer DV-S6D DVD player, Perpetual P-1A, MSB Gold Link (modified), dCS Delius
Speakers:	Sonus Faber Guarneri Homage
Cables/Interconnects:	i2Digital X60, Kimber KCAGs
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Various
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	PS Audio Power Plant P300
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	No remote on source selection Looks
Product Strengths:	see above