General Asylum: REVIEW: Morrison Audio E.L.A.D. Preamplifier (SS) by kublakhan General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories.

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I didn’t like this preamp at all. I originally had an audio research sp7 (solid state with phono and line stage from the early ‘80s) but wanted to upgrade. I saw the glowing reviews here and even though I was suspicious I ordered the ELAD. It would take 3 months to arrive. In the meantime I sold my sp7 to a friend who then lent me some old pioneer elite receiver. I hated the sound and longed for the sp7 back but held my breath until the ELAD arrived. When it did I put it into my system and although there was a slight increase in sound quality it wasn’t nearly what I had hoped. You had to really listen for it. Immediately my first reaction was “Oh, no. What have I done?” I called my friend, a true audiophile, and asked him to pick up the receiver and bring back the SP7 for a comparison. The SP7 beat the Morrison w/o question. And with the SP7 I got a phono stage as well. For the comparison there were three people in the room besides me and only one I would call an audiophile. All but one picked the sp7 right off the bat. One guy wanted me to keep going back and forth and finally picked the sp7.

Next I bought an Audio Research sp9 mkII locally. This is a hybrid ss with a tube phono. I really didn’t like this piece and the Morrison somewhat beat it but I really had to go back and forth for about an hour to decide. I sold the arc sp9 gladly (someone offered me what I paid for it) and kept the Morrison.

Disappointed I then ordered a Space-Tech-Lab tube preamp for $300 (new) because that was all I could afford at that time. The Space-Tech-Lab blew the Morrison out of the water and I immediately sold the ELAD. Perhaps the comparison isn’t a fair one because the Space-Tech is all handmade and hard wired. Plus, of course, it’s tubes and not solid state. But I knew what sounded better. There are two CDs I use for reference. On is Serkin doing Moonlight sonata and on a great preamp I can hear Serkin moaning and his chair creek. This wasn’t present with the ELAD. The music was muffled and constrained.

This comparison was done using excellent components, all Stereophile recommended Class A except the speakers which were vintage Acoustats. I love these speakers, by the way. Wow! You want to talk about an audio bargain?!

I recently bought an Audio Research Ref-1 preamp and it showed me, finally, what a true reference quality preamp can do. Suddenly the entire room was filled with music and the detail was out-of-this-world. I can’t see how anyone would say the ELAD is the best preamp at any price. It doesn’t make any sense to me. With the ELAD the music was small, with the lowest-end Space-Tech-Lab model the music was broad and detailed. With the ARC the music was breathing, alive and HUGE. My soundstage moved five feet to each side of my speaker. I knew then what HI-FI was all about.

I’m very surprise to hear people blaming their CDs when they don’t like what they hear while using the ELAD. The ELAD didn’t have any detail and if anything covered up flaws in the recording. This is not due to my equipment. How can my equipment be covering detail from the source and therefore not sending the information thru the ELAD but when I use other preamps suddenly the detail is there. The preamps aren’t “creating” the detail of Serkin moaning or Tom Waits’ fingers sliding up and down the neck of his guitar.

I’m not a ‘tube person’ and was really hoping the Morrison was the answer. It wasn’t. My father told me (as yours probably also did) that if something seems too good to be true then it probably is. Dad was a smart guy.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Atma-Sphere Music Systems, Inc.

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