Music First Audio preamp...

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Richard Austen, Jan 11, 2015.

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  1. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    Wondering how many people have experience with this preamp. Reviews from ears I trust are in love with the thing some saying it betters ANY active preamp regardless of price (at least in their system).

    So what are your thoughts about the Classic V2 and Baby Reference compared to other preamps. My front runners are from Audio Note and Line Magnetic. Audio Note's transformers can be used anywhere in the world with a 5 minute solder job. This isn't completely a deal breaker but I live in Hong Kong as a teacher on 2year contracts and should something happen I will move back to Canada and I don't want to be stuck. I could buy a transformer but in general those tend to come with some issues.

    I understand Warren Jarrett is a poster here who carries this line but I could not see the PM system for whatever reason.

    My system at present is
    Audio Note E/Lexus HEMP
    Line Magnetic 219IA Dual Mono SET integrated amp (that has a direct switch and can be used as a power amp). For me it's a poor man's Audio Note Jinro (which, along with the Tomei, are the amps I have coveted).
     
  2. Mondie

    Mondie Forum Resident

    I have owned several Bent TVC pre amps, these were made in Canada until about 2010 using S&B transformers. S&B transformers are made by Music First - same company. I am huge fan of TVC's. Bought my first Bent in 2004 and sold it to buy the later model with uprated silver transformers, I stupidly sold it in 2011 to replace it with an active pre with more gain so I could use a Soundsmith Straingauge cartridge. I hated the cart and sold it within months. I have no doubt I lost some magic with the active pre (an Italian made Mastersound PHL5 - no slouch!) and are pleased that the fellow I sold my Bent to in 2011 is selling it back to me. Cannot wait to have it back and will never sell it again :).

    I think you will be very happy with a TVC especially one of the quality of MF
     
  3. DPM

    DPM Senior Member

    Location:
    Nevada, USA
  4. Warren Jarrett

    Warren Jarrett Audio Note (UK) dealer in SoCal/LA-OC In Memoriam

    Location:
    Fullerton, CA
    I missed this thread until just now. For anyone reading, and living in the USA, I can announce now that I am the exclusive importer and dealer for Music First Audio in the entire USA. And, I have demo units of everything Music First Audio makes.

    Since I cannot travel EVERYWHERE in the USA to demo our products, our policy now is that we will loan any of our products to anyone in the USA that would like to hear them in their own system. I request the borrower pay for shipping both ways, only if it satisfies curiosity without resulting in a purchase. But, if a purchase does result, credit for the shipping costs will be deducted from the purchase price.

    For any questions about our passive transformer preamps, transformer MC step-ups, and active phono preamps, please contact me. You can private message me here, or Google my name and location: Warren Jarrett, Fullerton, CA. You will find my websites, on-line reviews, and my contact information.
     
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  5. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    This is a generous offer. I live in Hong Kong unfortunately. I will look into it more once I pay my taxes and have a better idea of my next contract. I've been mainly looking at the M3 and M6 but the Music First is nice because it doesn't require a plug and thus can be used anywhere in the world easily.
     
  6. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Very cool.
     
    jh901 likes this.
  7. Warren Jarrett

    Warren Jarrett Audio Note (UK) dealer in SoCal/LA-OC In Memoriam

    Location:
    Fullerton, CA
    I am sorry you don't live in Southern California, because I am also a dealer in the Los Angeles area for Audio Note. I have many demo units in the Audio Note line, including a M2 RIAA (phono stage), M6 RIAA (phono stage) and M6 Phono (full preamp with phono), which I will loan to anyone who wants to hear one in their home system.

    By the way, I need some help from anyone who has ideas. Where shall I advertise that I have all these Music First Audio and Audio Note demo units to loan? I want people to hear these items in their own home, instead of just asking for opinions in these forums and listening to unfamiliar combinations of equipment at shows or in audio shops.
     
  8. DPM

    DPM Senior Member

    Location:
    Nevada, USA
  9. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    Hi Warren - I would suggest the best place to get this kind of thing advertised is on the manufacturer's website - Audio Note UK advertises that they will come to your home and provide in home demos but that is for their local UK customers. It costs far too much money to advertise with Stereophile and the like and I would think the vast majority of customers will go to the company home page. A section that says: The following dealers will allow in home trials of our products in the US listed below.

    Something like that might be the best advertising and it should be free since it helps AN and Music first and your other product sell.

    I'm personally leaning to the AN preamps because I have heard them extensively and know what I'm getting. I also know how their second hand values stack up. I have owned the OTO Phono SE for 11 years (which is an M1 preamp and P1SE power amp in one box) and I'd be hard pressed to find an integrated amp I like more for under $5k. And the fact that I can sell the OTO for what I paid for it 11 years ago - well it would be tough to find a better bargain than a virtually free amp (the cost of inflation) . Thanks to Audio Note not deleting or changing model names. I had a Rotel preamp that they changed after a few years - same exact preamp - all they did was change the case to make it look different and the model number - the preamp's value immediately dropped in value buy 60%.
     
  10. Warren Jarrett

    Warren Jarrett Audio Note (UK) dealer in SoCal/LA-OC In Memoriam

    Location:
    Fullerton, CA
    Excellent ideas, thank you. The first thing I want to do is start a thread here on Steve's website, with a list of exactly what I have for in-home trial.

    Anyone in the Los Angeles area can visit me in West Hollywood or Fullerton to pick-up and return in person. Luckily, the Music First Audio equipment is light enough to ship anywhere in the USA reasonably, and I have near bullet-proof flight cases for it.
     
  11. DPM

    DPM Senior Member

    Location:
    Nevada, USA
    My Music First Audio Baby Reference arrived today. Yippee! Here's some pics.

    [​IMG]

    I opted for the remote control.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    jfeldt and jon9091 like this.
  12. Ntotrar

    Ntotrar Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tri-Cities TN
    Apple remote... Could cause trouble if your source is a Mac.
     
  13. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    That's beautiful, DPM.
     
  14. DPM

    DPM Senior Member

    Location:
    Nevada, USA
    No computer-based sources in my system…yet. Just a turntable, SACD player, and blu-ray universal player.

    I noticed the volume control on my unit is different from the control on the demo I tried out back in November. The feel is much smoother/less course. Now, this may be down to the fact that the demo was not remote controlled.

    Also, the control knobs are different. These are shinier. I like the look, but I'm going to hate the fingerprints. Time to break out the white gloves.
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2015
  15. DPM

    DPM Senior Member

    Location:
    Nevada, USA
    Thanks. The two-channel half of my system is falling together nicely. However, the surround portion requires some updating.
     
  16. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    I love that they ship this in a hard shell brief case - very James Bond. Love the colour. I really would like to try one - I am envious of you guys in the States where you can try one from Warren. I'm a try it and buy it type - but in Hong Kong I have to buy it, then try it and then get my money returned if I don't like it - but there is a psychology to that set-up that I try and avoid.
     
  17. jfeldt

    jfeldt Forum Resident

    Location:
    SF, CA, USA
    That looks great. Nice to see they are still using the same case my mark 2 came in years ago. Also cool to see each output has its own ground lift switch, mine just has one common one.
     
  18. DPM

    DPM Senior Member

    Location:
    Nevada, USA
    I just decided how I'm going to break this unit in. Music First Audio does do some burning in before shipment, but they also suggest another 100 hours of music played through the unit with its volume control fully cranked (no attenuation). Since my power amp doesn't have any volume control I had to come up with some way of doing the break in without blowing my speakers.

    My solution was hooking up my old Fostex pro CD burner to the Baby Reference preamp and sending the output of the Baby Reference into the input of my Bryston headphone amp. The Fostex is now playing Al Di Meola (Kiss My Axe) on infinite repeat, and the Bryston is handling volume duties for a few days.
     
    Shiver likes this.
  19. DPM

    DPM Senior Member

    Location:
    Nevada, USA
    If you REALLY like the sound of your sources then you should try to hear one of these at some point. If the Baby Reference adds any coloration at all it must be very small. In my system it sounds like the source is plugged directly into the power amp. The music just leaps from the speakers.

    Our host tried one in his system. Here's the thread.

    http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...k-baby-reference-passive-preamplifier.363325/
     
  20. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    Yes I have read that and I know Warren carries the line and reviewers I generally (though not always) agree with like Jack Roberts on our staff loves it. Which is why it's on my list. This is one of the preamps I am looking at. I'm not a buy it to try it sort unfortunately. If there is a dealer in Vancouver Canada I will be visiting for a month in the summer.
     
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