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REVIEW: AMC CVT-1030A Preamplifier (Tube) Review by Lowell at Audio Asylum

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I was looking for a preamp under a grand that would not have that MOSFET mist, graininess, or forward glare that I was getting ad nauseum from so many solid state pre's in that price range.
I was being a tightwad, so $1,200 for a Quicksiver tube pre [a nice sounding unit] was too much. In all honesty, I should have held out for the Quicksilver or a McCormack TLC-1. Problem is, I had no idea that the Macs were so good for only $1095 at the time. Damn me...
Anyway, this preamp uses all Philips tubes, 2 of the 12Ax7's and two 12au7's in the output. There is a set of tone controls that will boost 50hz up to 6 db, and 13khz by 6db. The effect is subtle, not too gross like other flabby controls I have listened to. Against the advice of Rodney Gold, I used them only for low level listening. Doing this did have the effect of temporarily desensitizing my hearing a bit to soft bass in that region. This preamp is full function, with plenty of inputs and selection options.
After a week of listening I determined the following:
With the exception of the McCormack and a couple other well crafted ss units out there, I liked this AMC for it's musicality and clarity over almost *all* ss units under $2,000. This includes the much vaunted $1,800 Adcom from S'philes 10 commandments...er "A" list.
The air was decent, well beyond budget ss. The midrange was smooth, if on the soft and laid back side. The highs sang smoothly, and bass was reasonably solid. The focus was very good, not great. The good thing, was the tubes were a no-brainer like a light bulb swap.
I rang up "Antique Electronics" at the behest and suggestion of GEO, and bought a pair of Sovtek 12Ax7LPS tubes ($9 each) and RCA 12AU7 cleartops [$15 each].
This was a quick, cost-effective and worthy upgrade! The tubes are hardly broken in [I have 3 hours listening on them plus warmup and already they embarass the lackluster Philips bottles.
Across the spectrum there was tighter definition. Bass solidified, and upper midrange balanced out better than before. There was a no contest here. I feel these upgrades brings the AMC preamp much closer to the quality of the Quicksilver. In terms of articulation, the new tubes improved the amps analytical prowess by 20-30%
I am recommending this preamp for two main reasons:
1) It already sounds more like music than most sub $2,000 SS preamps do to my ears.
2) It's upgradeability is little effort, little money yeilding very good results.
It's price is very resonable because on a per dollar basis it offers topnotch musicality. It is probably beaten in most areas once you get to a McCormack or Quicksilver, but for $849, there is little to complain about. You get your money's worth and then some.


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Topic - REVIEW: AMC CVT-1030A Preamplifier (Tube) Review by Lowell at Audio Asylum - Lowell 11:24:15 04/5/00 ( 0)