General Asylum: REVIEW: Margules Audio Magenta ADE-24 Analog/Digital Enhancer Passive Components by Ears

This component does much of what it's claimed to do.

It lessens the digital nasties and improves instrument timbre, which is especially noticeable with violins. However, it isn't perfect in that regard with piano sometimes sounding slightly too dull through it. For the most part, CDs do sound more harmonically natural with it in my system than without.

Imaging is more focused and stable, providing a more dimensional soundstage and producing a seductive tangibility with vocalists.

There is a slight but noticeable lessening of detail in my system. The passive pre combined with near-field listening may be a factor here. It's minor enough not to be a concern to me, but I thought I'd mention it in case any "detail freaks" are considering buying an ADE-24. It has me wondering if some tweaking could improve the the ADE though. I had the top off of mine briefly and was not impressed with the build quality of the ADE. I don't know enough about electronics to tell anything about the circuit, but the parts didn't appear to be anything special.

Bass seems a little looser with the ADE and without quite the impact. Not too bad though.

I have the ADE connected such that I can switch it in and out of my system. I find myself using it most of the time.

REVIEW: Margules Audio Magenta ADE-24 Analog/Digital Enhancer Passive Components Review by Ears at Audio Asylum