Home
AudioAsylum Trader
Amp/Preamp Asylum: REVIEW: Promitheus Audio Reference Tube Active Preamplifier (Tube) by Jagdeep

Looking for a new Amp or Preamp? If you're after tubes, post over here.

For Sale Ads

FAQ / News / Events

 

REVIEW: Promitheus Audio Reference Tube Active Preamplifier (Tube)

192.169.41.37


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] Thread:  [ Display   All   Email ] [ Amp/Preamp Asylum ]
[ Alert Moderator ]

Model: Reference Tube Active
Category: Preamplifier (Tube)
Suggested Retail Price: $1200
Description: 5687 based preamp with external TVC
Manufacturer URL: Promitheus Audio

Review by Jagdeep on December 19, 2007 at 09:45:41
IP Address: 192.169.41.37
Add Your Review
for the Reference Tube Active


General Ramblings of the Promitheus TVC/Preamp in my rig

Hmm, I don’t often write reviews as the system character is a personal preference and very very system synergy dependent. I’ve been round the hifi merry-go-round and finally, I feel, I have reached where I want to be, with the Promitheus audio TVC and Preamp as part of the rig. My current system is in the final (yeah right!) stages of tweaking. I am now fine tuning the power supply to the system. I also learnt, ( a bit late … but better late than never) that without a properly treated room, it’s a waste of time and money trying to optimise your system to get your sound. If the room ain’t right, nothing will be right. My room is treated with some broadband panel traps, tube traps and diffusers. Luckily, the power delivery to my hifi is via two dedicated heavy gauge lines.

So, before running out and buying new equipment, ensure that your room is moderately treated and the power lines coming in for the hifi system are dedicated lines. With this, you now have the foundation to build your system upon. You just might be pleasantly surprised just how good your current system sound just by doing this.

First, the mandatory system list in painful detail :-

TT : JAW Andromeda
Cartridge : Denon 103R
Arm : Graham 1.5 t/c
Cable : JPS FX
Phono stage : Whest
Cable : JPS FX
TVC : Promitheus Reference
Preamp : Promitheus 5687 based
Cable : Canare L-2T2S (7 metres)
Active Sub : JBL LSR 6312SP
Cable : Canare L-2T2S (3 metres)
Active Monitors : JBL LSR 6328P

After giving up on my VAC/Genesis & Naim/Living Voice systems, I set out looking for a new system with a different set of goals. The components had to be units by which professionals made a living by. Value for money, robust, accurate.

So, the JBL’s and Denon became part of my set up. Only the Whest phono stage remains unchanged for quite some time. All I needed was a preamp. After much reading, I thought I would give the passive preamps a go. The obvious first choice was the Bent. The price was prohibitive but… I felt that it would work. (after fiddling with hifi for such a long time, you sort of get a feel of what will work and what won’t). I happened to come by Promitheus by chance and thought… why not. Honestly, it was Nicholas’ non pushy, accommodating style that really won me over. After getting to know him better, I also learnt that he does have an uncannily correct sense of how things should sound.

Prior to auditioning the TVC, I did audition some preamps from very established manufacturers. Their products were very very good but alas, did not synergise with MY system to give the sound character I was looking for. One of the preamps (tubed, made in UK) cost about SG$9,000 and the other costing at about SG$16,000 ( solid state, made in Switzerland). I also tried a Rotel RC 9808X and a DIY unit (tubed, 5687 based) from a good friend.

I made quite a few difficult requests for my TVC and Nicholas accommodated most of them. Some of my requests were …. not too clever I admit, and he advised me … why they would not work, backed up with solid reasoning. Still being cautious, I requested for a loaner to audition. That did it. I placed an order for my TVC … with a few of my ideas added in.

What did the TVC sound with my active Pro-audio monitors. Unbelievably lush and rich. I mean like, a vocalist was right there smack in the middle of my speakers… on a stage many feet behind the speakers. Now this is an accomplishment in my small room (13ft length x 10 ft width x 9ft high). I threw everything at the system, Janice Ian, Patricia Barber, Slayer, Megadeth, Sodom, Kreator, Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin, Helloween, Johnny Cash, Iron Maiden, LA4, Ataulfo Agenta .. the works, and tonal accuracy and richness was always there. Amazing. This was music. Albeit a little laid back.

The only thing I missed. The musical punch. Music through the TVC leaves for nothing wanting for those who prefer calmer, vocal based music. For my slightly more .. ‘ahem’ aggressive musical taste (80% of my collection is either heavy, death, speed or black metal), I needed the slam … WITHOUT sacrificing what the TVC already gave. I am a greedy bugger. I wanted it all.

So I spoke to Nicholas-san about the slam I needed. VOILA! He said that he had just come up with a preamp to support the TVC! Perfect timing. After listening to the TVC, I had to doubt of what I would receive from Promitheus would be to my expectations. Again, being the difficult person that I am, I had to request for one of the most difficult tubes to use, the very microphonic 5687. I also wanted the C-core transformers with it. I requested for Amorphous C-Core transformer but Nicholas advised against it. I took his advise.

Nicholas took quite some time for this project. This was a full custom job. Not only did he have to find a way of isolating the tubes, he also had to tune the transformer to match. My request was that the addition of the preamp should not take away any of the beautiful musical presentation of the TVC. Told you I was difficult.

The Preamp finally arrives. And I popped it into the system. Being a smarty-pants, I used another set of Canare-2T2S to connect the TVC to the pre-amp. Nope. Did not work. The system sounded hard. There is a system synergy with the copper Promitheus interconnects. Use them.

What happened next was nothing less than astounding. I actually bothered to run-in the preamp for close to 400 hours. I have never bothered to do this ever. Why did I do it. I knew that this kit deserved it.

My wife Charn, who is my ‘ consultant ‘ when purchasing audio gear, or evaluating my newly designed turntables or tone arms, gave the newly run-in system the OK. Now that simple OK of hers carries mega tons more weight that the meaningless hollow flowery descriptive acrobatics of most ‘professional’’ reviewers. Charn is very simple in her analysis of a component. It’s either too harsh, too slow, too far back, to bassy or OK. For example, I recently tried out a power cord. I put on slayers Reign in Blood. In 5 seconds, she got up and said, ‘too harsh’. It took me a further 10 minutes to realise she was right.

Back to the TVC/Preamp combo. Now, the system sounded right. Slam, speed, rich tonality, good focus and more immediate sounding. Just the way I like my music. Vocalists still had the chesty tonality that makes for a more involving listen. Plucked guitars had the correct attack that was a little slow before the addition of the preamp. Distorted guitars had crunch, snare drums had attack and snap, bass drums were punchy and bass guitars had weight and clarity.

For classical music (yes, I actually own quite a few classical records, strange as it may seem), orchestras sounded big and clear. Many preamps tend to present orchestral pieces with nice flow but tend to muddle up the instruments. With the TVC/preamp in my rig, you could hear each instrument section. And, listening to chamber music was just beautiful. The system did not accentuate any particular frequency range and was up there with the best of rigs. The addition of the preamp did take a way a wee bit of the rich chesty-ness of vocal music but, added so much more to the overall musical experience. This little compromise I could live with. And, if I REALLY wanted to go back to the TVC sound, all I had to do was to take the preamp out of the chain. So, really, I have the flexibility to have it all.

Yes, I know there is a lot of ‘blah’ in my review of the Promitheus TVC/Preamp but I want to try and present the whole picture. Ultimately, the TVC/Preamp combo I own has given me what I wanted, irrespective of cost. Can anyone ask for more?

The latest mods I have done to the system have been to change the standard wall socket to an Oyaide R1 socket and change the power distributor which feeds the active monitors and sub from a Wiremold to a Oyaide MTB4. The power cable connecting the MTB4 to the R1 wall socket is the Acrolink 4030 fitted with Oyaide 046/047 plugs. This has improved the overall system ‘speed’ and improved the highs, mids and bass.

Jag



Product Weakness: Hard to fault
Product Strengths: Excellent Musical Presentation


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: None
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Promitheus
Sources (CDP/Turntable): JAW Andromeda + Denon 103R + Whest
Speakers: JBL LSR6328P + LSR6312SP
Cables/Interconnects: JPS FX, Canare
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Heavy Metal, Clasical, Jazz
Room Size (LxWxH): 13 x 10 x 9
Room Comments/Treatments: Broadband absorbtion, tube traps, diffusors
Time Period/Length of Audition: 6 months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Oyaide MTB4, R1 receptacles, Acrolink 4030 cable
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition): N/A




This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Atma-Sphere Music Systems, Inc.  



Topic - REVIEW: Promitheus Audio Reference Tube Active Preamplifier (Tube) - Jagdeep 09:45:41 12/19/07 ( 3)