CAT SL1 Signature - Lee of Omaha - Amp/Preamp Asylum

Amp/Preamp Asylum

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CAT SL1 Signature

Lee of Omaha

We had one of these in for repair. We've fixed it and it's ready to go. I hope the owner takes a while (like say, a decade or so) to come get it.

Summary: This is the best sounding preamp I've heard in a high-end system that I'm familiar with.

There are no tone controls. Controls include a stepper attenuator, a balance control (why?), a phono stage, a few inputs and a tape monitor loop. All inputs and outputs are single-ended RCAs.

This preamp is a pain in the ass to carry. It is in two modules connected by a nondetachable umbilical. The thing weighs perhaps 60-70 pounds. The construction quality is through the roof.

It's several generations behind their latest model of the SL1. So these comments apply only to this dated model.

I think anyone who offers their opinion on equipment should state their biases and sensitivities. Dynamics are really important to me. A little harmonic distortion doesn't much bug me. I can't hear absolute phase, but I believe it exists. Imaging and detail are really important to me (I'm a LONG time enthusiastic Quad ESL-57 owner). Noise is a little annoying but not the most important thing to me.

Either the SL-1 has a little dynamic expansion, which I sincerely doubt, or every other preamp I've heard has dynamic compression to varying degrees. The dynamics are simply the best I've heard. It also has less noise than any other tubed preamp I've heard.

I absolutely love this preamp.

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Topic - CAT SL1 Signature - Lee of Omaha 19:09:36 07/22/14 (16)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - fantja 09:10:14 07/24/14 (10)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - Sondek 16:05:12 07/24/14 (9)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - fantja 16:39:41 07/24/14 (8)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - Sondek 16:47:41 07/24/14 (7)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - fantja 17:21:39 07/24/14 (6)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - Sondek 17:57:30 07/24/14 (5)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - fantja 19:32:34 07/24/14 (4)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - Sondek 20:08:22 07/24/14 (3)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - fantja 20:29:39 07/24/14 (2)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - Sondek 06:28:32 07/25/14 (1)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - fantja 08:47:00 07/25/14 (0)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - Sondek 07:00:20 07/24/14 (0)

One of my favorite preamps too! - David S. 15:09:13 07/23/14 (0)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - Jwm 06:33:39 07/23/14 (0)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - jnr 21:44:23 07/22/14 (0)

RE: CAT SL1 Signature - hahax@verizon.net 20:38:29 07/22/14 (0)

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