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REVIEW: Creek OBH-12 Preamplifier (SS) Review by Randy Bey at Audio Asylum

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I received a Creek passive preamp yesterday (thanks Tony!) and while I didn't have time to listen to it then, I ran it through it's paces today.

This preamp replaces the preamp side of my NAD C512 receiver, which has preamp outs/power amp ins connectors. I was using the preamp side with my Laurel 300B amps.

So out goes the NAD and in goes the Creek.

The Creek is really small, BTW. For some reason I thought it would be bigger, but it's really about the size of two packs of cigarettes. This is not a problem, it fits beautifully between my amps on the shelf they occupy.

Talk about simplicity itself! The unit has a passel (that's the technical word) of connectors on the rear, basically two inputs, tape in/out and outputs. The front has a volume knob and a couple LEDs.

Yes, it has AC power, but only if you want to use the remote (or select the second of the two inputs). Works just fine without it, on the first input.

Anyway I heat up the ol' Laurels and put some stuff in the player. I must say I was a bit apprehensive, as I heard horror stories of unmatched impedance, poor dynamics, loss of "slam", etc. with passives and the wrong associated equipment.

My fears were groundless.

What did this baby do? In a word, nothing. It is SO transparent, it adds NOTHING to the sound. For that matter, it subtracts nothing from the sound.

What does this mean? Well, I had no real complaints about my rig before. But with the Creek in there, a layer of grunge, a filmy coating, was removed from the music that I never knew was there.

Frequency response did not change appreciably. I did not expect it to.

Imaging, which I had pretty good to begin with, improved. There is a Sara K track I have where she sings to the left and up close while a muted trumpet plays way in the rear. I never heard the up close part of her voice, but the rear trumpet came across fine. With the Creek, Sara seems to be breathing in my ear. Quite nice.

Worried about slam and dynamics I put on some drum solos and percussive music. Not a speck of diminished attack, perfect control, and, at the risk of repeating myself, transparent.

How could anyone go wrong? I think you'd have to spend way way more to get better sound. For non-optimal component matches, an active preamp with impedance matching may be your only hope.

But if you have good amps, KLIPSCHORN speakers, and fairly modern source, well, no problem.

Hoo ha!


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Topic - REVIEW: Creek OBH-12 Preamplifier (SS) Review by Randy Bey at Audio Asylum - Randy Bey 17:04:16 01/25/01 ( 0)